Bangladeshi authorities state they were not notified about the recent execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Mecca until after the sentences had been carried out. A Bangladeshi man and woman were put to death after being convicted of committing an indecent act within a mosque, according to statements from the Saudi interior ministry, which did not elaborate on the specific nature of the offense.
In response to the incident, Bangladesh has contacted the Saudi Arabian government to request comprehensive details surrounding the case. The two nations maintain close diplomatic and economic ties, with more than three million Bangladeshi nationals living and working in Saudi Arabia, primarily in low-wage occupations. The double execution has subsequently generated public anxiety within Bangladesh.
According to the Saudi interior ministry, the two individuals were convicted and sentenced to death under tazir, a category of Islamic law where punishments are determined at the discretion of the judge. The official statement noted that the capital punishment was applied due to the severity of the violation and the breach of the mosque's sanctity.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam stated that Bangladesh has formally reached out to Riyadh to clarify the offenses and the legal proceedings involved. She added that decisions regarding subsequent measures, including the potential repatriation of the remains, will be evaluated once official information is received from Saudi authorities, emphasizing the government's commitment to protecting the welfare of its citizens abroad.
Reports indicate that the executed individuals had appeared on a prisoner roster previously provided by Saudi authorities following a request from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah, though that document contained no indication that the pair faced imminent execution.
Capital punishment involving foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia has occurred previously. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International note that Saudi Arabia has carried out approximately one hundred executions this year, frequently involving foreign citizens convicted of drug-related offenses. Past cases include the public execution of eight Bangladeshi men in Riyadh in 2011 following a murder conviction. Separately, Saudi authorities recently overturned a death sentence for a Sri Lankan man convicted of blasphemy over social media comments, a reversal that followed widespread public reaction and diplomatic intervention.