AhlulBayt News Agency: Bangladesh has sought an explanation from Saudi authorities following the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in the Mecca region of Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi Interior Ministry, the two individuals were sentenced to death under ta'zir after being convicted of allegedly committing an immoral act inside a mosque. Bangladeshi officials, however, say their government was not informed before the sentences were carried out.
Social media posts have also circulated claims that the two individuals were husband and wife, had travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, and became the subject of a criminal case after a video emerged. These claims have not been independently verified through the official statements and media reports cited in connection with the case.
According to a statement attributed to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the executions took place on October 14, 2026, in the Mecca region. The individuals have been identified in reports as Nazirul Islam Abdul Basir and Sweety Akhtar.
Saudi Interior Ministry's Statement
The Saudi Interior Ministry said security authorities arrested the two individuals and conducted an investigation before referring the case to the competent court. According to the ministry, the court found them guilty and imposed the death penalty as a *ta'zir* punishment. The sentences were subsequently upheld, and the executions were carried out following a royal order.
The ministry cited the alleged offence's seriousness and the violation of the sanctity of a holy place and time as reasons for the punishment. However, its statement did not provide a comprehensive account of the incident, identify the mosque involved, describe the alleged conduct in detail, or disclose the evidence presented during the trial.
Bangladesh Seeks Diplomatic Clarification
According to Bangladesh's The Daily Star, the Bangladeshi Consulate General in Jeddah said the Saudi authorities had not notified the Bangladeshi mission before executing the two nationals.
Following the executions, the mission sent a diplomatic communication known as a *Note Verbale* to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, seeking official confirmation and detailed information about the case.
On October 18, Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaid Islam, told journalists that the Foreign Ministry had also sought information from the Saudi ambassador.
A report published by The Daily Star on October 19 said Saudi authorities had previously provided the Bangladeshi mission with a list of prisoners, but the information concerning the two executions was not included.
International Media Coverage
The Associated Press (AP) reported on the executions, highlighting the lack of prior notification to Dhaka and the diplomatic concerns arising from the case. Its coverage also referred to the Saudi authorities' account and the Bangladeshi government's response.
Bangladesh's The Daily Star focused on diplomatic communications, the prisoner list and the absence of information about the executions. India's *India Today* also reported the Saudi authorities' statement and the death sentences.
Unverified Claims About the Couple and Umrah
Posts circulating on social media claim that Nazirul Islam Abdul Basir and Sweety Akhtar were married and had travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. Some posts have presented their alleged journey in connection with visiting Islam's holy sites.
Other claims suggest that a Pakistani national recorded a video showing the two kissing inside a mosque and that the footage led to action against them.
However, the available official statements and the cited international media reports do not independently establish whether the two were married, whether they were performing Umrah, who allegedly recorded the video, or whether such footage played a role in the proceedings.
Confirmation would require further evidence, including statements from the relevant authorities, travel records and judicial documents.
Questions Over the Religious and Legal Basis for the Death Penalty
The Saudi Interior Ministry classified the punishment as *ta'zir*, a category of punishment in Islamic jurisprudence whose determination falls within the authority of a competent judicial authority under the applicable legal and jurisprudential framework.
However, describing a sentence as *ta'zir* does not, by itself, establish that the death penalty is permissible for every offence falling within that category.
The case therefore raises several important questions. What specific religious and legal grounds were cited for imposing the death penalty for the alleged conduct inside the mosque? Did the court's judgment explain the nature of the offence and the evidence used to establish guilt? Will the judgment and supporting evidence be made available for public scrutiny?
Condemning an act as immoral or sinful is not the same as establishing that it warrants capital punishment under Islamic law. A conclusive assessment of the religious ruling in this case would require examination of the original judicial judgment, the offence established by the court, the evidence presented and the relevant principles of Islamic jurisprudence.
Until those details are available, important aspects of the case remain unverified, while Bangladesh's demand for clarification places the issue of prior diplomatic notification at the centre of the bilateral response.
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