Bangladesh on Sunday sought detailed information from Saudi Arabia about the recent execution of two Bangladeshi nationals, raising the issue with Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah.
Foreign Ministry Secretary (East and West) Dr Md Nazrul Islam sought clarification about the executions during a meeting with the Saudi envoy, a senior ministry official said.
Asked whether the ambassador had been summoned, another official said the meeting should not be described as a summons.
Despite raising the issue, Bangladesh expressed confidence that the incident would not affect the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of respecting the laws of the host country. 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 Bangladesh had yet to receive detailed official information from Saudi authorities about the execution of a Bangladeshi man and a woman. She described the news as unexpected and said the government had sent a formal letter seeking clarification.
According to Saudi media reports, the two Bangladeshis were executed after being convicted of committing what authorities described as “indecent acts” inside a mosque in Mecca.
Citing the Saudi Interior Ministry, a report said 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 individuals as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar.
Shama Obaed said Bangladesh learned on October 14 that the two nationals had been sentenced to death and that the executions had already been carried out. Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia had received prior notification, she said.
“We wanted to know whatever we needed to know. Let the reply come. I will be able to let you know,” she told reporters.
After learning of the executions, the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia informed the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and shared the information it had gathered from Saudi authorities.
The government’s formal inquiry seeks details about the identities and backgrounds of the two nationals in Bangladesh, as well as when they first travelled to Saudi Arabia for work.
The state minister said Saudi Arabia has its own legal system and punishes those found guilty of serious offences in accordance with its laws.
She added that arrangements for repatriating the bodies could be made after Bangladesh receives a response to its inquiry.