Two Bangladeshis Executed in Saudi Arabia as Speculation Spreads Online

Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi nationals on October 14 after they were convicted of committing what authorities described as an "immoral act" inside a mosque in the holy city of Makkah.

The individuals, identified as Nazerul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, were sentenced to death under ta'zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law.

Saudi authorities said the offence violated the sanctity of the time and place but did not disclose the exact act committed.

The case dates back to 2023, when both were reportedly arrested. Nazerul, aged 25, had travelled to Saudi Arabia in November 2022 to work as a cleaner at Masjid al-Haram before being arrested approximately eight months later.

He spent nearly three years in prison, with his family reportedly speaking to him for the last time on October 11, three days before his execution.

The executions also raised diplomatic concerns in Bangladesh, with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam confirming that neither the foreign ministry nor its diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia had received advance notification.

However, Saudi authorities had previously provided Bangladesh's consulate in Jeddah with a list of approximately 2,500 prisoners in September, including both individuals' names, without disclosing their death sentences.

Consular officials also said neither had requested assistance.

Bangladesh subsequently sought clarification during a meeting with the Saudi ambassador on October 18 and requested copies of the court verdicts.