Mecca: Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals convicted of what authorities described as an “immoral act” inside a mosque in Mecca, according to a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Interior. The executions have drawn attention after Bangladesh’s Consulate General in Jeddah said it had not received advance notification from Saudi authorities.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced the executions in a statement released on Wednesday and published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The ministry said the executions took place in the Mecca region, but did not disclose the exact date of the alleged incident, identify the mosque involved or provide details of the conduct that led to the convictions.
The Bangladeshi consulate has since approached Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeking formal acknowledgement of the executions through diplomatic channels.
Who were the two Bangladeshi nationals?
The Saudi Ministry of Interior identified the executed men as Nazerul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar.
According to the ministry’s account, Saudi security authorities arrested the two men before an investigation was conducted. Charges were subsequently filed, and the case was referred to a competent court for trial.
The court found the charges proven and sentenced both men to death, the ministry said. The sentences were later upheld by the relevant authority, making them final, before a royal order was issued authorising the executions.
However, the ministry’s statement did not provide further information about the two men, including their backgrounds, the circumstances of their arrest or the evidence presented during the proceedings.
Reports circulating online have made additional claims about the individuals and the alleged incident. However, details that are not supported by official statements or independently verified reporting should be treated with caution.
Saudi authorities cite sanctity of time and place
The Saudi Ministry of Interior said the death sentences were imposed under ta’zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law.
In its statement, the ministry cited the seriousness of the offence and what it described as a violation of the sanctity of the time and place as grounds for the punishment.
The statement said the court had established the charges against the two men, that the verdict had been upheld and that a royal order had authorised the executions.
However, the Saudi authorities did not specify precisely what the men were accused of doing inside the mosque. The statement also did not identify the place of worship or explain the circumstances in which the alleged incident occurred.
The absence of these details leaves important questions about the case unanswered for the public and for those seeking further information through diplomatic channels.
Bangladesh consulate says it received no advance notice
The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah has sought formal acknowledgement of the executions from Saudi authorities, saying the mission was not notified beforehand.
An official of the consulate told Bangladesh’s The Daily Star in a WhatsApp message that the mission had received no advance notification from the Saudi ministry.
“In this regard, we have submitted a note verbale to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting formal acknowledgement of the matter,” the official said.
A note verbale is a formal written communication exchanged between diplomatic missions and government authorities. It is commonly used to convey official requests, raise concerns and seek clarification on matters involving relations between countries.
The consulate’s communication seeks formal acknowledgement of the executions. The available statements, however, do not provide details of any response received from Saudi Arabia or indicate whether further information has been supplied to the Bangladeshi mission.
Questions remain over the circumstances of the case
The executions have brought attention to the communication between Saudi authorities and Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission, particularly because the consulate says it was not informed in advance.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior has outlined the broad sequence of events, stating that the men were arrested, investigated, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to death. It also said the sentences were upheld before the royal order for execution was issued.
Nevertheless, several aspects remain unclear. These include the precise nature of the alleged act, the identity of the mosque, the date of the incident and the detailed circumstances surrounding the arrests and court proceedings.
Bangladesh’s request for formal acknowledgement represents the diplomatic mission’s effort to obtain official information about the executions. Further clarification from Saudi authorities may help establish the outstanding details.
For now, the Saudi ministry’s statement provides the official explanation for the executions, while the Bangladeshi consulate’s account highlights the lack of advance notification. The full circumstances of the case remain unclear from the information publicly available.