Execution of 2 Bangladeshis: What's in the letter Jeddah consulate sent to expatriates' welfare ministry
The consulate said Saudi authorities had not provided detailed information about the two individuals or the activities in question.
Saudi Arabian authorities did not officially notify the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh or the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah before and after executing two Bangladeshi nationals, according to a letter sent by the consulate to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment last Sunday (18 October).
The letter, sent by the consulate's Labour Welfare Wing, said the executions came to light through Saudi media reports published citing a statement from the Saudi Interior Ministry on 14 October, according to a Prothom Alo report.The two Bangladeshis were identified as Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Sweety Akter.
According to the Saudi statement, they were executed in the Mecca region for allegedly engaging in immoral activities inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca, violating its sanctity.
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The consulate said Saudi authorities had not provided detailed information about the two individuals or the activities in question.
The consulate had earlier sought information from the Saudi Foreign Ministry about Bangladeshis detained in various prisons in western Saudi Arabia.
A list received on 30 September included Nazrul and Sweety but did not mention their sentences.
According to the list, both worked as cleaners for a company named Al Majal in Saudi Arabia.
Nazrul was detained on 1 August 2023 over allegations of an information technology-related crime, while Sweety was detained the following day on an adultery allegation. Nazrul was held at Jeddah Correctional Facility and Sweety at Jeddah Women's Prison.
The letter said there had been no previous instance of a Bangladeshi being sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over allegations of information technology-related crimes or adultery.
The list also showed that 306 Bangladeshis were detained in prisons across western Saudi Arabia in various morality-related cases. Of them, 147 had received prison sentences ranging from one month to 15 years.
The consulate said neither family had contacted it or applied for legal assistance. Saudi authorities had also not informed it of the verdicts or executions.
The consulate has sent a diplomatic note to the Mecca branch of the Saudi Foreign Ministry seeking copies of the verdicts and details of the cases. It said a detailed report would be sent after the documents were received.
