Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals convicted of committing what authorities described as an ‘immoral act’ inside a mosque in Mecca, with Bangladesh’s consulate in Jeddah saying it received no advance notice of the executions, Bangladesh’s The Daily Star reports.
The executions took place in the Mecca region, according to a statement issued by the Saudi interior ministry on Wednesday and published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Bangladesh consulate general in Jeddah has since approached Saudi authorities for formal acknowledgement of the matter.
“The consulate was not notified by the ministry beforehand,” an official of the mission told The Daily Star in a WhatsApp message on Thursday.
“In this regard, we have submitted a note verbale to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting formal acknowledgement of the matter,” the official added.
Who were they?
The Saudi interior ministry has identified the executed men as Nazerul Basir and Siti Akhtar.
According to the ministry, Saudi security authorities arrested the two before an investigation led to charges being filed against them. Their case was subsequently referred to a competent court.
The court found the charges proven and sentenced both men to death, the ministry said.
Court cites sanctity of time and place
The death sentences were imposed under ta’zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law.
The ministry cited the gravity of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the time and place to justify the punishment.
The verdict was upheld by the relevant authority, making it final, before a royal order was issued to carry out the executions, the statement reads.
However, the Saudi authorities did not disclose exactly what the two men had done inside the mosque.
The statement also did not name the mosque or specify when the arrests took place, leaving key details of the case unclear.
Bangladesh consulate seeks official acknowledgement
The lack of prior notification has prompted the Bangladeshi mission in Jeddah to formally raise the matter with Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry.
The consulate has requested official acknowledgement of the executions through a diplomatic note, known as a note verbale.
No further details about the diplomatic communication or the precise circumstances surrounding the case were provided in the available statements.
– Edited by Anushree Jonko
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