Saudi Arabia has confirmed the execution of two Bangladeshis, a man and a woman, accused of performing an “indecent act” inside a mosque in Mecca. The executions took place on October 14, 2026, the Saudi Ministry of Interior said in a statement cited by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
In Bangladesh, which denied being informed of the executions, the news came as a surprise, since the government claimed not to have been informed. In its statement, the Saudi Interior Ministry cited Nazerul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar as accused. Security officials had arrested them, investigated the case and referred it to a court.
The minister said the court found the charges proved and sentenced both men to death. It deemed their actions serious and justified, saying they had broken the sanctity of the mosque and the sacredness of the time and place. According to ta’zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law, they received the death sentence.
The ministry also claimed the authorities upheld the verdict and considered it final, and that the royal order to execute the victims had been issued. But the ministry failed to provide any details about what the two men had done. It also did not mention the name of the mosque or the date they were arrested.
In some media reports, it appeared that the man and woman were involved in the case. But these details were not mentioned in the official statement, and the families have come forward to deny these allegations and have pressed the government for a clear explanation of the charges and circumstances surrounding the case.
Bangladesh’s consulate in Jeddah said it had not been informed about the executions. It was only notified about the death sentences when they were administered. Bangladesh submitted a note verbale, a formal diplomatic communication, to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking them to acknowledge the executions and to provide further details.
Shama Obaed Islam, Bangladesh's minister of foreign affairs, said her country had spoken to Saudi Arabia to find out more about the offences and the legal proceedings. She said the country would consider taking additional steps, including returning the bodies, after Saudi Arabia provided the information.
This case has also raised questions about information exchanged between the two countries. According to The Daily Star, both men appeared on a list of prisoners that Saudi Arabia had provided to the Bangladeshi consulate. The list did not indicate whether either was sentenced to death.
The use of ta’zir is essential in understanding the case. The Islamic law of criminality is generally divided into three broad categories: hudud, qisas and ta’zir. Hudud refers to offenses that are punishable, whereas qisas refers to retaliation against persons who have killed or injured others. Ta’zir refers to offences for which judges have discretion over the punishment they impose on the offender.
Unlike other offences with fixed penalties, ta’zir does not have one predetermined punishment for every case. The punishments could range from fines and imprisonment to more severe sentences, depending on the offence and law. In a case tried under ta’zir, the death penalty is not automatic. This raises questions about why the execution in this case took place, particularly when Saudi authorities have not been able to reveal all the details.
Most of the executions are political, but, because Saudi Arabia is a major destination for Bangladeshi migrants. More than three million Bangladeshis live and work in the kingdom, many of them in low-paid jobs. Their work and remittances help their families and support the economy of Bangladesh. This case has made us concerned about how safe and secure workers abroad are.
A Saudi man was executed by the death penalty. Amnesty International reports that in 2007, Saudi Arabia executed around 100 people, including foreigners convicted of drug related crimes. The organisation expressed concerns that there was n fair trial and that many of the people being tried did not receive a fair trial.
It is not the first time Bangladeshis have been executed in Saudi Arabia. In 2011, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in Riyadh after they were convicted of murdering an Egyptian national. In March, Saudi Arabia reversed the death sentence of a Sri Lankan man who was sentenced to death for a comment he posted on Facebook after receiving public criticism and diplomatic pressure.
As of right now, the Interior Ministry's statement tells only part of the story about the death tolls at Mecca. It says that the two Bangladeshis who were detained in Mecca had been convicted by a court and executed after their sentence was confirmed and approved by a royal order. The nature of the alleged act and evidence supporting the conviction is not clear. Bangladesh is waiting for any further information from Saudi officials.
References: