Bangladesh today (18 October) sought further information from Saudi Arabia regarding the recent execution of two Bangladeshi nationals, raising the issue with Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah.
Secretary (East and West) Dr Md Nazrul Islam sought detailed information about the executions during a meeting with the Saudi ambassador, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.
Asked whether the ambassador had been summoned, another official told UNB, "No, it was not."
Although Dhaka raised the issue with the Saudi envoy, it expressed confidence that the incident would not affect the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.
The importance of remaining "mindful" of the laws of the host country was also discussed.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the steady progress of cooperation between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia across various sectors.
On Saturday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the government had yet to receive detailed official information from Saudi authorities regarding the execution of a Bangladeshi man and a woman. She added that the news had come as a surprise.
"We have yet to receive any official detailed information from the Saudi government," she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that Bangladesh had sent a letter to the Saudi government requesting further details.
Earlier, Saudi media reported that Saudi Arabia had executed the two Bangladeshis after they were convicted of committing "indecent acts" inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca.
Quoting the Saudi Interior Ministry, Gulf News reported that the court imposed the sentences because of the seriousness of the offence, the violation of the mosque's sanctity and the circumstances in which the acts were committed.
Saudi authorities identified the two Bangladeshis as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar.
"On October 14, we learned that two Bangladeshi nationals had been sentenced to death under Saudi Arabian law and that the executions had been carried out," the state minister said, noting that neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia had been informed in advance.
"We wanted to know whatever we needed to know. Let the reply come. I will be able to let you know," Shama said.
After learning of the incident, the Bangladesh mission notified the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, sharing all the information it had gathered from Saudi authorities.
The state minister said the government had sent a formal inquiry to obtain full details, including the identities of the individuals, their backgrounds in Bangladesh and when they had originally arrived in Saudi Arabia for work.
Based on past experience, Shama said Saudi Arabia had its own legal framework and that anyone found guilty of a grave offence was punished in accordance with the country's laws.
"The execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia serves as a major lesson for us," she said.
Shama Obaid said the repatriation of the bodies could be arranged once Bangladesh received a response to its letter from Saudi Arabia.