The two Bangladeshi nationals recently executed in Saudi Arabia had been detained since August 2023 on separate charges, according to a document from the Labour Welfare Wing of the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah.
The two were identified as Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Sweety Akter.
The document, sent to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on October 18, said there was no previous record of a Bangladeshi national being executed in Saudi Arabia on charges related to information technology offences or adultery.
It also said Saudi authorities had neither informed the Bangladesh Embassy or consulate before the executions nor formally notified them afterwards.
News of the executions emerged from Saudi media reports citing a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Interior on October 14.
According to the ministry’s statement, as reported by local media, the executions took place in the Makkah region. The two were accused of committing “indecent acts” inside a mosque in the holy city of Makkah.
The consulate said Saudi authorities had not provided detailed information about the cases.
The document said the consulate had previously sought information from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Bangladeshi nationals detained for various offences in prisons across western Saudi Arabia.
A list received on September 30 included the names of Nazrul and Sweety but did not specify their sentences. Both were reportedly employed as cleaners at an establishment called Al-Majal.
According to the list, Nazrul was detained on August 1, 2023, on charges related to information technology offences, while Sweety was detained the following day on an adultery charge.
Nazrul was held at the Jeddah Correctional Facility, while Sweety was held at the Jeddah Women’s Prison.
The consulate said the list contained no information about the sentences handed down to either individual.
It also noted that videos of unrelated or past incidents were being circulated on social media in connection with the executions.
According to the document, 306 Bangladeshi nationals were being held in prisons across western Saudi Arabia in connection with various morality-related cases. Of them, 147 had been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one month to 15 years.
The consulate said it had received no requests for legal assistance or other communication from the families of the two executed individuals.
It reiterated that Saudi authorities had not informed the consulate of their sentences or executions.
The consulate has sent a diplomatic note to the Makkah branch of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking copies of the verdicts and detailed information about the cases.
A comprehensive report will be submitted after the requested documents are received, according to the document.