Bangladesh has sent a diplomatic letter to Saudi Arabia seeking detailed information about the crimes committed by two Bangladeshi citizens executed in Mecca, how their sentences were carried out, where their bodies are now, and whether they had lawyers during their trials.
The questions were raised in a diplomatic letter sent by the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah to the Mecca branch of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 19 October.
Several senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the information to Prothom Alo on Friday. They said Bangladesh’s Consul General in Jeddah, Md Sakhawat Hossain, met Farid bin Saad Al Shehri, director general of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Jeddah on 19 October. He handed over the diplomatic letter during the meeting.
Reportedly, Bangladeshi citizens Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Sweety Akter were executed in the Mecca region on 14 October. The death sentences were imposed as discretionary punishments by a judge. In this connection, the consulate has requested information on six specific points and asked for a response as soon as possible.
In the letter to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh raised six questions about the execution of its two citizens. These include the type and nature of the offences; when and where they took place; when the two were arrested; a copy of the verdict against the two Bangladeshi nationals certified by respective authority; and how the death sentences were carried out—whether they were publicly executed by beheading with a sword or by another method.
Bangladesh has also asked where the bodies are being kept following the executions and whether they will be sent to Bangladesh or have already been buried in Saudi Arabia. It has further asked whether lawyers were appointed to represent the two accused during the investigation and trial, and whether either of them had requested legal assistance.
According to sources familiar with the matter in Dhaka, neither the Bangladesh mission in Dhaka nor the one in Jeddah has detailed information about the entire process leading to the executions. In particular, the missions are unable to confirm whether the two men had legal representation during their trials.
Diplomatic sources said Saudi authorities regularly provide Bangladesh with lists of Bangladeshi nationals who are imprisoned or have been convicted. Those two were named on the September list. One was accused of “adultery” and the other of an “ICT”, or information technology-related, offence. However, the list did not specify their sentences. As a result, Bangladesh was unable to provide them with consular services without knowing that they had been sentenced to death.
According to a statement by the Saudi interior ministry, they were sentenced for violating the sanctity of a mosque complex in Mecca by engaging in indecent acts. It remains unclear how the allegations listed in the document correspond to the ministry’s statement. The consulate’s first question, therefore, is not merely an attempt to obtain information, but also to clarify the discrepancy.
Questions raised in high-level talks
At a meeting on 19 October, Bangladesh’s consul general in Jeddah asked Farid bin Saad Al Shehri, director general of the Saudi foreign ministry, why the information had been incomplete. According to diplomatic sources, had the mission known about the death sentences, it could have taken steps to protect the two citizens. In such cases, efforts are generally made to provide legal assistance, pursue appeals and seek high-level diplomatic intervention.
Last week, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told journalists in Dhaka that the execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia following allegations of criminal offences is a matter of disappointment for Bangladesh. According to information received from Saudi Arabia, the sentences were carried out this month after trials in lower and appellate courts.
A foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saudi Arabia had sent a list of around 2,500 prisoners on 30 September. The list stated that 22 Bangladeshis had been sentenced, including the two who were executed, but did not specify the exact nature of the sentences. Bangladesh has therefore written to Saudi Arabia seeking specific information about those other 20 individuals.
Several foreign ministry officials told Prothom Alo that Saudi authorities had yet to respond to the diplomatic note. The officials are waiting for a reply.