Saudi Arabia Executes Two Bangladeshi Nationals

Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi nationals on 14 October 2026 over an alleged offence at a mosque in Mecca. Bangladesh says it was not informed beforehand and is seeking details.

Bangladesh Seeks Answers After Saudi Arabia Executes Two Citizens

Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi nationals on 14 October 2026 over what authorities described as an “indecent act” inside a mosque in Mecca. Bangladesh says it was not informed beforehand and has asked Saudi authorities for details about the case and the legal proceedings.

The two people were identified as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar. Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said a court found them guilty and sentenced them to death under ta’zir, a system that allows judges to decide punishments for certain offences. However, authorities have not publicly explained exactly what the two did or identified the mosque involved.

Families Seek Answers After the Executions

Nazrul was from Bangladesh’s Chattogram division. He moved to Saudi Arabia in November 2022 to support his family and worked as a cleaner at Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca. His family reportedly borrowed between 600,000 and 700,000 Bangladeshi taka, approximately Rs.4.5–5.25 lakh, to send him abroad. His father had also worked in Saudi Arabia for 24 years.

According to his relatives, Nazrul was arrested on 1 August 2023. Siti was arrested the following day. Both remained in detention until their executions. Nazrul’s family said their last conversation with him took place on 11 October, three days before his death. They learned about the execution through media reports.

His father has asked Saudi authorities to return his son’s body to Bangladesh and investigate the execution. He is also facing pressure from creditors to repay the money borrowed to send his son abroad.

Nazrul’s relatives have questioned the allegations against him. His father said the family did not know Siti personally and denied that she was his son’s wife. Another relative, however, told the media that Nazrul had previously admitted to having an affair with her.

Some relatives and friends also suspected that a dispute with a Pakistani co-worker might have led to Nazrul being framed. This allegation has not been independently established.

Siti Akhtar’s Family Also Wants Answers

Siti’s father, Fazal Mia, reportedly borrowed around 150,000 Bangladeshi taka, approximately Rs.1 lakh, to send his daughter to Saudi Arabia for work. She sent money home during her first five months there. Later, she told her family that she had been jailed after an argument with other female workers and claimed she had been framed.

Her family lost contact with her for about a year. Although she later resumed calling, she did not explain the details of her case or tell her relatives that she had been sentenced to death. Her family learned about her execution from other people.

Bangladesh Questions the Legal Process

Bangladesh’s government said it had not received advance notice of the executions. The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah also said it had not been informed beforehand.

Bangladesh had previously received a list of its citizens held in Saudi prisons. Nazrul and Siti were included on the list, but their death sentences were not mentioned, according to reports. Their alleged offences were listed as adultery.

Bangladesh has requested copies of the court judgments, details of the offences and information about the legal proceedings. Officials also want to know whether the two had lawyers, were given an opportunity to defend themselves and could appeal their sentences. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir described the executions as disappointing and pointed to a communication gap between the two countries.

Bangladesh will decide its next steps after receiving the requested information. These may include arrangements to bring the bodies home. The return has reportedly also been delayed because air connections between the countries were suspended.

A Misleading Claim Spreads on Social Media

After the executions, social media posts claimed that Nazrul had been executed for kissing his pregnant wife’s belly inside the mosque.

This claim is misleading. The photograph shared with the posts reportedly showed Egyptian influencer Gehad Elbana and her husband, Ramzy Mahmoud, at Masjid al-Haram in December 2024. There is also no confirmed evidence that Nazrul and Siti were married.

Saudi authorities have not publicly provided enough details to confirm the exact act for which the two were convicted. The social media claim should therefore not be treated as an established explanation for the executions.

Saudi Arabia’s Use of the Death Penalty

The case has renewed attention on Saudi Arabia’s use of capital punishment, including against foreign nationals. Human Rights Watch reported that Saudi Arabia executed at least 356 people in 2025, a record number. In another case, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in Riyadh in October 2011. They had been convicted in connection with a warehouse robbery in 2007 and the killing of an Egyptian security guard.

For the families of Nazrul and Siti, key questions remain unanswered. Bangladesh is seeking official records and explanations from Saudi authorities as it considers what to do next.