Were they beheaded? Bangladesh seeks answers from Saudi over execution of 'couple'

Bangladesh has sought detailed information from Saudi Arabia about the execution of two of its citizens in the Makkah region, including the charges against them, court verdicts, method of execution and whether they had legal representation during their trials, according to a media report.The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah sent a diplomatic letter to the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs' branch in Makkah on October 19, seeking answers to six questions, Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo reported on Sunday.Bangladesh's consul general in Jeddah also raised the matter with a senior Saudi foreign ministry official during a meeting on the same day, the report said.The two Bangladeshi nationals, a man and a woman, were executed on October 14 after being convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque in Makkah.

Dhaka seeks details of charges, trials and executions

In its diplomatic communication, Bangladesh sought details of the offences for which the two citizens were convicted, including when and where the alleged acts took place. It also requested their arrest dates and certified copies of the court verdicts, Prothom Alo reported.Dhaka has asked Saudi authorities whether the death sentences were carried out by beheading or another method. It has also sought information about the whereabouts of the bodies and whether they would be repatriated to Bangladesh or had already been buried in Saudi Arabia.

The letter further asks whether lawyers represented the two citizens during the investigation and trial, and whether they had sought legal assistance.Bangladeshi officials said the country's diplomatic missions did not have detailed information about the legal proceedings leading to the executions, including whether the two individuals had been represented by lawyers.Saudi authorities had not responded to the consulate's latest diplomatic communication, the newspaper reported, citing Bangladeshi officials.

Discrepancy over charges and sentences

Dhaka is also seeking clarification over information contained in a list of Bangladeshi prisoners shared by Saudi authorities in September.The list reportedly included allegations of adultery and an information technology-related offence involving the two citizens. However, it did not specify their sentences.Bangladesh is seeking an explanation for the discrepancy between those entries and the Saudi interior ministry's public explanation of the executions.The Bangladeshi government had also raised the matter with the Saudi ambassador in Dhaka, according to the Dhaka Tribune.Bangladeshi officials said the government had not received detailed official information from Saudi authorities before learning that the executions had taken place, the newspaper reported last week.Dhaka has also sought details about 20 other Bangladeshi citizens whose names appeared on the Saudi prisoner list as convicted, but whose sentences were not specified.The latest diplomatic communication comes as Bangladesh seeks further information about the circumstances surrounding the October 14 executions and the legal proceedings against the two citizens.