DHAKA, OCT 18 (PTI): Bangladesh on Sunday sought an explanation from Saudi Arabia over the execution of two of its nationals, saying authorities in Dhaka and its mission in Riyadh were not informed about the legal proceedings beforehand.
Foreign Ministry’s East and West Asia Division Secretary Mohammad Nazrul Islam sought detailed information about the executions during a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Zafer H bin Abiyah, officials said.
A Foreign Ministry official clarified that the Saudi envoy had not been summoned and that the interaction was a meeting.
A note verbale seeking clarification was handed over to the envoy after a copy was sent through electronic channels, the official said.
Bangladesh’s embassy in Riyadh earlier informed the Foreign Ministry that the two nationals, a man and a woman, were accused of committing adultery inside a mosque in Makkah. Saudi authorities subsequently arrested, tried, sentenced and executed them.
The ministry said neither it nor the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia had been informed about the legal proceedings in advance. Dhaka learnt about the executions after they were carried out on October 14.
The UAE-based Gulf News, quoting the Saudi Interior Ministry, reported that a Saudi court imposed the sentences considering the seriousness of the offence, the violation of the mosque’s sanctity and the circumstances in which the acts were committed.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Saturday said Bangladesh had formally sought detailed information from Saudi Arabia, adding that Dhaka learnt about the matter only on the day of the executions.
“I do not wish to comment at this stage on why the mission was not notified, as the Saudi government has not yet provided us with complete details,” she said when asked whether Riyadh had violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by failing to notify Bangladesh before the trial.
Shama called the incident “deeply unfortunate” but stressed that Bangladeshi expatriates must respect the laws of their host countries, saying the executions served as “a major lesson for us”.
Regarding the repatriation of the bodies, she said the next steps depend entirely on Dhaka receiving a clear account of the incident from Saudi authorities.
The incident has sparked public outrage and scrutiny in Bangladesh, with questions being raised over the protection of the legal and consular rights of Bangladeshi nationals facing criminal proceedings abroad.
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