In brief
Bangladesh claims it was not informed before Saudi authorities executed two Bangladeshi nationals in Mecca for an alleged 'indecent act' inside a mosque. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded details and is considering repatriation of the bodies. This incident follows a pattern of Saudi executions, many involving foreign nationals, and re‑ignites tensions around the treatment of expatriate citizens in the Kingdom.
Bangladesh officials claim they were not informed shortly before two Bangladeshi nationals were executed in Mecca.
A man and a woman, both from Bangladesh, were found guilty of an 'indecent act' inside a mosque and were executed last Wednesday, according to the Saudi interior ministry. The specific nature of the offence was not disclosed by the authorities, but the ministry cited severe infractions and violation of a mosque’s sanctity as the reasons for the death sentence.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately reached out to the Saudi government for details and to discuss possible repatriation of the bodies. State minister for foreign affairs Shama Obeid Islam said the government would consider next steps once more information is received.
The incident comes amid a larger context of Saudi Arabia’s heavy use of the death penalty, with roughly one hundred executions recorded this year, many involving foreigners convicted of drug offences. The last time Bangladeshi nationals were executed abroad was in 2011, when eight men were murdered in Riyadh and later put to death.
The two cases are being closely watched by the more than three million Bangladeshis living and working in Saudi Arabia, most of whom are employed in low‑paying roles. The government’s response highlights ongoing tensions over treatment of foreign nationals in Saudi courts.
