Two Bangladeshi nationals were executed in Saudi Arabia on 14 October for allegedly committing an “immoral act” inside a mosque.
The Bangladesh consulate in Jeddah reportedly received a list of about 2,500 prisoners from Saudi authorities in September, which included the two Bangladeshis but did not disclose their death sentences.
A confidential memo from Bangladesh’s consulate – that Dhaka’s The Daily Star gained access to – revealed that the records it received listed entirely different allegations against them, without mentioning the death sentences.
There were allegations of adultery against Suety Akhter, 24, and an offence under the cybercrime law against Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir, 22, reportedly leaving the consular officials unable to link the entries to the executions, the outlet revealed.
Dhaka learnt of the executions only after they were carried out on 14 October.
The prisoners’ list reportedly sent to the consulate on 30 September showed that Basir had been detained on 1 August 2023 under Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime law, while Akhter was arrested a day later over allegations of adultery.
The memo said Basir was held at the Jeddah correctional facility and Akhter at Jeddah’s women’s prison. Both had worked as cleaners for a company named Al Majal.
After the executions were carried out, Bangladesh subsequently summoned the Saudi ambassador to seek details.
The Bangladesh consulate also requested copies of the court judgments and information about the proceedings.
Saudi authorities classified the Bangladeshis’ death sentences as ta’zir, a form of punishment left to judicial discretion, and said the executions followed a judicial review and a royal order. However, their public statement did not specify what the alleged “immoral act” involved, name of the mosque where it took place, or state when the pair were arrested.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said the two were executed after being convicted of an “immoral act” inside a mosque in Mecca.
The Saudi interior ministry reportedly said the government remained committed to safeguarding and enforcing Islamic law against those found to have violated the sanctity of mosques.
It also warned that anyone committing similar offences would be punished under Saudi law, Gulf News reported.
The memo reportedly said that 306 Bangladeshis were in prison across Saudi Arabia’s western region, with 147 serving sentences of between one month and 15 years. It also listed three cybercrime cases in which the prisoners had received jail terms of six months to five years.
Akhter, originally a resident of Nagar Chhawali village in Mirzapur, was arrested in August 2023 but only informed her family about her detention a year later. Initially, she had reportedly told them she had been held following a physical altercation.
“She sent money home for the first five months. One day, she called and told us she had been sent to jail,” her father Fazal Mia told The Daily Star.
“The family later learned that she had been arrested in connection with a relationship with a young man there,” a local police official in her hometown was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
Her last conversation with her family was on 13 October, a day before her execution.
“She told them she would return home within the next two and a half months. She was unaware of her execution,” the official allegedly said.
Her father told the local media that she was falsely accused and jailed after a dispute with other female workers in Saudi Arabia. The family then heard nothing from her for about a year.
She later resumed contact, calling home roughly once a month, but never mentioned her trial or the sentence she received.
Akhter’s mother, Johura, has said that her daughter was divorced and had a four-year-old daughter. When Akhter moved to Saudi Arabia, her daughter was taken care of by her Akhter’s sister.
The family has allegedly not received any official confirmation from the Bangladesh government.
The 22-year-old man, Basir, moved to Saudi Arabia in November 2022 and was the eldest of four siblings. He came from Birampur village in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district. His family has alleged that he contacted them six months after he was arrested, saying he had been arrested and falsely accused, but offered no further details.
His father Abdul Basir told The Daily Star: “If my son was executed without just cause, I want justice.”
The Bangladesh government has yet to officially confirm the identities of the two people executed in Saudi Arabia and has reportedly sought an explanation from Riyadh over the alleged failure to share information. Over 3.5 million Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia.
The Independent has reached out to Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry for comment.
State minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir said the government was seeking further details.
The Independent has reached out to the Bangladesh mission in Riyadh for comment.
The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) has called for an impartial investigation and accountability over the executions. The organisation raised concerns over reports that Bangladesh’s foreign ministry and diplomatic missions were not informed before the executions.
According to The Dhaka Tribune, HRSS has demanded the disclosure of the charges, trial records and sentences, along with details of the legal assistance the pair received.
It also called on the government to investigate possible negligence by the relevant ministries, take action against those responsible if wrongdoing is established, improve coordination between diplomatic missions and ensure access to qualified lawyers for Bangladeshis facing serious charges abroad.
“The responsibilities of the relevant ministries in protecting the rights of expatriate citizens cannot be limited to mere formalities,” HRSS executive director Ejazul Islam said in a statement.
“If there has been any negligence or failure in this matter, accountability must be established, and those responsible must be held answerable.”
