The Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia has sought details of the cases, allegations and court verdicts involving two Bangladeshi nationals who were executed in Makkah on Wednesday, after allegedly committing an offence inside a mosque.
“We have asked for details of the cases, allegations and verdicts from the Saudi authorities,” a diplomatic source told TIMES.
The source said neither the embassy nor the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah had been aware of the cases before the executions.
“It appears that neither the convicted Bangladeshis nor the Saudi authorities contacted us during the trial proceedings,” the source added.
The executed Bangladeshis were identified as Nazerul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, according to a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Interior on October 14 and carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The ministry said Saudi security authorities arrested the two following an investigation and brought charges against them. The cases were subsequently referred to a competent court.
According to the ministry, the court found the charges proven and sentenced them to death under ta’zir, a form of discretionary punishment under Islamic law. The ministry cited the gravity of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the time and place.
The verdicts were upheld by the relevant authority before a royal order was issued for their implementation, the statement said. The executions were carried out in the Makkah region on October 14.
Thousands of Bangladeshis in Saudi prisons
Around four million Bangladeshis live in Saudi Arabia, while more than 7,000 are reportedly in prison for various offences.
A government official said cases involving Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia include killings involving fellow Bangladeshis, Saudi citizens and nationals of other countries. There have also been cases in which Saudi nationals killed Bangladeshis.
“After the cases go through the judicial process, those found guilty are penalised,” the official said.
The official cited cases in which families of Bangladeshi murder victims received substantial compensation under the Saudi legal system.
In one recent case, the family of a Bangladeshi national killed by a Saudi citizen reportedly received compensation amounting to crores of taka as blood money. In another case, the family of a domestic worker killed by a housewife received compensation of more than Tk 15 crore, the official said.
The official described the Saudi judicial system as transparent and said royal intervention could not overturn a final judicial sentence.
The Bangladesh Embassy’s request for the case records is expected to help clarify the circumstances of the executions and whether the Bangladeshi authorities were informed or given an opportunity to provide consular assistance during the legal proceedings.
