Saudi Arabia has reportedly executed a man and a woman, both Bangladeshi citizens, after they were convicted of committing alleged ‘immoral acts’ inside a mosque in the city of Mecca, the Gulf News reported, citing Saudi’s interior ministry.
The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah has formally sought acknowledgement of the matter from Saudi authorities, Bangladeshi news outlet the Daily Star reported. The report identified the duo as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, adding that the duo was arrested by the security personnel for committing ‘immoral acts’ inside a mosque in Mecca . The death sentence was pronounced by a court which reportedly found them guilty and sentenced them under ta’zir, a punishment under Islamic law which depends on the discretion of the judge and can range from a warning to corporal punishment. The punishment applies to Saudi nationals as well as foreigners. “The consulate was not notified by the ministry beforehand. In this regard, we have submitted a note verbale to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, requesting formal acknowledgement of the matter,” an official of the mission was quoted as saying.
The ministry cited the ‘seriousness of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the mosque’ after the Bangladeshi duo was executed on October 14 in Mecca. Saudi Arabia has carried out over 171 capital punishments under ta’zir this year so far, according to a report by Sanad, a human rights organisation. Highest number of executions were reported in 2025. 1,816 people were executed in Saudi Arabia between January 2014 and June 2025, according to the Amnesty International.
However, Bangladesh said that it had not been informed about the executions beforehand. Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa has termed Saudi’s use of death penalty as ‘a chilling disregard for human life’ “Its application for drug-related offences is also an egregious violation of international law and standards,” Beckerle said.
