Bangladesh has sought a formal explanation from Saudi Arabia after two of its citizens were executed in Mecca following a conviction for an indecent act inside a mosque. Dhaka authorities learned of the double execution only after it occurred, sparking diplomatic discussions and public concern over information-sharing gaps.
Bangladeshi authorities discovered that two of their nationals had been executed in the holy city of Mecca only after the capital punishment had already been carried out. The executed individuals, a man and a woman, were convicted under Islamic law of committing an indecent act inside a mosque.
Diplomatic Friction and Missing Notice from Riyadh
The Saudi interior ministry stated that the pair received the death penalty under tazir
—judicially discretionary punishments—due to the severity of the offense and the violation of the mosque’s sanctity. However, the ministry did not specify the exact nature of the offending behavior, nor did officials clarify whether the defendants had legal representation during their proceedings.
Reaction from Dhaka was swift and pointed. Humaiun Kobir told reporters that the government was very disappointed
by the lack of communication from its bilateral partner. State minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam confirmed that the foreign office reached out to Saudi authorities to request details on the legal proceedings and offenses involved.
We have sought an explanation from our friendly bilateral partner to look into the matter and know why the gap in information sharing and exchanges happened here. We are in discussions.
Humaiun Kobir, via Middleeasteye
Ministry officials revealed that the two executed citizens had appeared on a prisoner list previously shared by Saudi Arabia at the request of the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah. That document, however, contained no indication that authorities planned to execute the pair.
Migrant Welfare Strains Bilateral Ties
The incident has heightened public anxiety within Bangladesh, where citizens closely track the welfare of a massive diaspora working in the Gulf kingdom. More than three million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia, primarily holding low-paying jobs that form a cornerstone of strong economic and religious ties between the two nations.
Islam stated that the government remains fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of its citizens abroad. Dhaka is currently waiting for a copy of the full verdict and the circumstances leading to the executions before deciding on further steps, which would include arranging for the repatriation of the bodies.
Capital Punishment Trends and Prior Precedents
Executions involving foreign nationals in the kingdom remain a sensitive diplomatic issue. Amnesty International reports that Saudi Arabia has executed around 100 people this year, while another source states at least 175 people have been executed so far this year, the majority of whom are foreign nationals.
The current diplomatic strain recalls past severe penalties involving Bangladeshi workers in the region. In 2011, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in Riyadh after a court found them guilty of killing an Egyptian.
Simultaneously, shifting legal outcomes elsewhere in the kingdom have drawn international scrutiny. Earlier in the month, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court overturned a death sentence handed to a Sri Lankan national, Anojan Sivarasa, who had been convicted of blasphemy. Sivarasa remains imprisoned after receiving a five-year sentence and a fine of three million Saudi Riyals ($800,000), a decision that followed intense public outcry and diplomatic clemency efforts in Sri Lanka.