Bangladesh seeks Saudi answers over two citizens’ executions

Bangladesh has asked Saudi Arabia to explain the execution of two of its citizens in Mecca, saying nobody in Dhaka knew about the case in advance.

On Sunday, the foreign ministry sought answers from Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Zafer H Abiyah. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam described the step to reporters.

Officials said Dhaka found out only after the executions, which took place on Oct 14, and after news reports appeared.

What Bangladesh says it was never told

An official in Dhaka said the ministry and its mission in Saudi Arabia had no word of the court case until it ended. Bilateral Affairs Secretary M Nazrul Islam met the ambassador to press the point.

On Thursday, the consulate in Jeddah sent its own letter to the Saudi foreign ministry and asked for details. It told one newspaper that the ministry had not alerted it before the executions.

The consulate then sent a note verbale asking for formal acknowledgement. Dhaka sent the same note electronically first, and a physical copy reached the ambassador on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia’s account of the case

State media carried a statement from the Saudi interior ministry that confirmed the executions. It named the men as Nazrul Islam and Sweety Akhtar, though another newspaper used different spellings.

According to the ministry, security authorities arrested the pair, and an investigation led to charges. A court found the charges proven and handed down death sentences under ta’zir.

Ta’zir is a discretionary punishment under Islamic law. The ministry pointed to how serious the offence was and to where and when it happened.

The verdict became final once the relevant authority upheld it, and a royal order followed. Officials carried out the sentences in the Makkah region.

A message from the labour wing of the Bangladesh mission said that officials accused the two of adultery inside a mosque in Mecca. One Gulf newspaper reported allegations of immoral and indecent acts there.

However, the Saudi statement did not describe the act, name the mosque or give the arrest dates.

Warning from the Saudi interior ministry

The ministry restated its firm stance on guarding the security of the holy mosques and enforcing Sharia against anyone who violates religious sanctity.

It cautioned that anybody who commits similar offences at holy sites will face severe punishment.

Shama Obaed Islam said Bangladesh wants clarity on the offences, the court process and the reasons its mission got no notice.

She added that Dhaka had yet to receive detailed official information from the Saudi government.

The sequence unfolded quickly. Saudi authorities confirmed the executions on Wednesday, the consulate wrote on Thursday, and the ambassador received a copy of the note on Sunday.

According to the mission’s message, Saudi authorities arrested, tried, sentenced and executed the two Bangladeshis without any notice to Dhaka.

For now, Bangladesh waits for an answer. Dhaka says it needs full details of the case, the court process and the reason the mission received no warning, and it has not named a next step.