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State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam has described the execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia as a major lesson for the country’s expatriate community, urging Bangladeshis living abroad to abide by the laws of their host countries.
She made the remarks while responding to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday afternoon.
Asked whether the Bangladesh government had been informed in advance about the executions, Shama Obaid said it had not yet received any formal notification. However, the government had sent a letter to the Saudi authorities seeking details of the incident.
According to information received by the labour wing of the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia, the two Bangladeshis were accused of engaging in adultery inside a mosque in Makkah, an offence considered serious under Saudi law. The minister said the Saudi authorities had reportedly taken legal action under the country’s laws, but Bangladesh had yet to receive formal information on the case.
“Based on past experience, I can say that Saudi Arabia has its own legal framework. If anyone commits a heinous and unlawful act under that framework, the accused face punishment in accordance with the law,” she said.
“The execution of the two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia is a major lesson for us,” she added.
Shama Obaid said the government would learn more about the circumstances of the executions after receiving a response from the Saudi authorities. The information would also help determine how the bodies could be brought back to Bangladesh.
The Saudi Press Agency reported the executions on Wednesday, citing the country’s Ministry of Interior. The two Bangladeshis were identified as Nazrul Islam and Sweetie Akhtar.
According to a report by Gulf News, Saudi security forces arrested them on allegations of immoral and indecent acts inside a mosque in Makkah. Following an initial investigation, charges were brought against them and the case was sent to court.
The report said the court imposed the death penalty under tazir, a category of discretionary punishment under Islamic law. The verdict was upheld by higher judicial authorities before the sentences were carried out by royal order.
A source at the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah said the Saudi authorities had not formally informed the Bangladeshi mission before the executions. Consular officials learned about the matter after it appeared in the media and subsequently sent a letter to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking clarification.
Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations provides for communication between detained foreign nationals and their consular representatives. Under the convention, the detaining state must inform the relevant consular post without delay if the detained person requests it, and facilitate consular communication and assistance.
It remains unclear whether the two Bangladeshis had requested that the Bangladeshi consulate be notified of their detention.
