Saudi Arabia executes two Bangladeshis; consulate seeks formal acknowledgement

Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi nationals in the Mecca region on October 14 after courts convicted them of acts inside a mosque that authorities described as immoral. The Saudi Interior Ministry announced the executions, while Bangladesh’s consulate said it had received no advance notification.

The ministry said security personnel arrested the pair, who were investigated and referred to a court. It said the death sentences were upheld by the relevant judicial authorities before a royal order authorised their implementation.

Saudi authorities said the punishment was imposed under ta’zir, a category of discretionary punishment in Islamic law. The ministry cited the seriousness of the offence and the violation of the mosque’s sanctity as grounds for the sentences.

The precise conduct for which the two were convicted has not been disclosed in the ministry’s account. It also did not specify when they were arrested or provide further particulars about the incident inside the mosque.

The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah said it had written to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking formal acknowledgement of the executions. A mission official said the consulate had not been informed beforehand.

Details about consular assistance and communication with the families were not provided in the statements. There was also no information about whether Bangladesh had made diplomatic representations before the sentences were carried out.

Following the executions, the Saudi Interior Ministry reiterated that it would enforce the country’s laws against offences involving mosques. It warned that similar conduct would attract legal consequences.

The case comes amid scrutiny of capital punishment in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International has recorded 1,816 executions in the country between January 2014 and June 2025 and has criticised its continued use of the death penalty.