Two Bangladeshi nationals who were recently executed in Saudi Arabia had been detained in the country since August 2023 on separate charges, according to a confidential document from the Labour Welfare Wing of the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah. The two individuals were identified as Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Sweety Akter.
The document, sent to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on October 18, noted there was no previous record of any Bangladeshi national being executed in Saudi Arabia on charges related to information technology offences or adultery. Furthermore, Saudi authorities did not inform the Bangladesh Embassy or the consulate before the executions, nor did they formally notify them afterwards.
Information regarding the executions surfaced from Saudi media reports citing a statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Interior on October 14. According to the statement, the executions took place in the Makkah region following accusations of committing indecent acts inside a mosque in the holy city. The consulate stated that Saudi authorities did not provide detailed information about the respective legal cases.
A list received by the consulate on September 30 included the names of Nazrul and Sweety but omitted their sentences. Both individuals were employed as cleaners at an establishment named Al-Majal. Nazrul was detained on August 1, 2023, on charges related to information technology offences, while Sweety was detained on August 2 on an adultery charge. Nazrul was held at the Jeddah Correctional Facility, and Sweety was held at the Jeddah Women’s Prison.
The consulate pointed out that the received list contained no information regarding the sentences handed down to either prisoner. It also noted that unrelated or past incident videos were circulating on social media regarding the executions. Currently, 306 Bangladeshi nationals are held in prisons across western Saudi Arabia for morality-related cases, with 147 serving sentences ranging from one month to 15 years.
The consulate confirmed that no legal assistance requests or communications were received from the families of the two executed citizens. In response, the consulate has dispatched a diplomatic note to the Makkah branch of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting copies of the verdicts and detailed case information. A comprehensive report is set to be submitted following the receipt of these official documents.
Why it matters
The lack of formal diplomatic notification regarding the execution of Bangladeshi citizens in Saudi Arabia highlights critical consular communication gaps.