Bangladesh reacts to couple execution over ‘indecent act’ inside Saudi mosque

Bangladesh has asked Saudi Arabia to explain the execution of two of its citizens in Mecca after authorities in Dhaka said they were not notified of the death sentences until after the executions had been carried out.

The Bangladeshi man and woman were executed last Wednesday after being convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque, according to Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry. The ministry did not disclose the specific conduct that led to their conviction.

Bangladesh’s government is seeking details of the alleged offence and the legal proceedings that resulted in the executions, with officials saying further decisions will depend on the response from Saudi authorities.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Bangladesh had contacted the Saudi government to obtain information about the case. She added that the government would consider its next steps, including the possible repatriation of the bodies, once the requested details had been received.

Islam also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the welfare and interests of Bangladeshi citizens living and working abroad.

The executions have raised concerns in Bangladesh, where Saudi Arabia is a major destination for migrant workers. More than three million Bangladeshis live and work in the kingdom, many of them employed in low-paying jobs.

The two countries maintain close religious and economic ties, making the circumstances surrounding the executions a matter of public concern in Bangladesh.

According to the Saudi interior ministry, the pair were sentenced to death under “tazir”, a category of punishment in Islamic law that allows judges discretion in determining penalties for certain offences.

The ministry said the severity of the offence and the violation of the mosque’s “sanctity” were reasons for imposing the death sentences.

The Daily Star reported that the two Bangladeshis had appeared on a list of prisoners provided by Saudi Arabia following a request from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah. However, the list did not indicate that they had been sentenced to death.

The absence of that information has added to questions surrounding the communication between the two governments before the executions took place.

The executions are part of a broader pattern of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, where foreign nationals have also been put to death for various offences.

Amnesty International estimates that Saudi Arabia has executed around 100 people this year, many of them foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offences.

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The kingdom has previously executed Bangladeshi citizens. In 2011, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in Riyadh after they were convicted of killing an Egyptian national.

However, Saudi authorities have also reversed death sentences following diplomatic pressure and public appeals.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia overturned the death sentence of a Sri Lankan man convicted of blasphemy over a comment he had posted on Facebook.

The decision followed public outcry in Sri Lanka and diplomatic efforts to secure clemency for the man.

Bangladesh is now awaiting further information from Saudi Arabia about the two executions as it considers how to respond to the case.

(BBC News)