New Delhi: Anger is growing in Bangladesh over the execution of two of its nationals in Saudi Arabia for allegedly committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque in Mecca.
While Dhaka has sought answers from Riyadh, its response has been relatively muted. But human rights organisations and citizens are raising their voices in protest, particularly over the fact that Bangladesh was kept in the dark until after the two had been put to death.
The two Bangladeshis, identified in media reports as Nazrul Islam and Sweety (also spelt Siti or Suety in some reports) Akhtar, were executed on 14 October. They were sentenced to death under ta’zir, a form of punishment in Islamic law that leaves the penalty to the judge’s discretion. The Saudi Interior Ministry did not specify what the act was, which mosque it took place in, or when the two were arrested. It said only that the two had violated the ‘sanctity’ of the mosque.
Although Islam and Akhtar were included in a list of prisoners shared by Saudi Arabia with Bangladesh, there was no mention of their death sentences, The Daily Star reported. Their families, too, reportedly learnt of their fate through media reports.
Dhaka has so far appeared keen to keep the diplomatic fallout to a minimum. On Monday, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kobir, described the executions as “very disappointing”, and said that the country had asked for an explanation from Saudi Arabia, which it considered a “friendly” partner. Kobir also said he hoped bilateral ties would grow stronger.
During discussions with Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah, the importance of being “mindful” of the laws of the host country was also raised. State Minister Shama Obaed Islam reportedly said: “The execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia serves as a major lesson for us.” She added that Bangladesh was still waiting for a copy of the verdict, so as to establish details of the case.
Also Read: Saudi top court sets aside Sri Lankan engineer’s death sentence over ‘blasphemous’ social media post
‘We demand justice’
The tone is quite different elsewhere, with many Bangladeshis expressing outrage over both the executions and how the matter was handled.
“Anger is growing in Bangladesh over Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Bangladeshi nationals without prior information being provided to Bangladesh,” posted @Jefta_222 on X.
🇧🇩 🇸🇦 Anger is growing in Bangladesh over Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Bangladeshi nationals without prior information being provided to Bangladesh.
The Saudi Ambassador was reportedly unable to provide an explanation.
— Home (@Jefta_222) October 19, 2026
Another post on X called the incident “huge”, adding: “The outrageous thing is that the Bangladeshi consulate was not even notified about these two citizens…”
It's a huge news and all the buzz in Bangladesh last week. The outrageous thing is that the Bangladeshi consulate was not even notified about these two citizens and executed by the Saudi kingdom.
Insane diplomatic failure for Bangladesh.
— AS Maruf 🇨🇦🇧🇩 (@as_maruf62783) October 19, 2026
People are also questioning why Bangladeshi nationals in particular were subjected to such harsh punishment.
“The Saudi Bangladeshi Embassy sleeps soundly But will their family stop the tears? If Sri Lanka got a pardon from the gallows, why didn’t Bangladesh?” asked @mia_taher60782. The reference was to Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa, whose death sentence over a Facebook comment deemed blasphemous was overturned by the Saudi Supreme Court on 13 October after diplomatic and legal intervention by Sri Lanka.
সৌদি বাংলাদেশি দুতাবাস দাত কেলিয়ে ঘুমান
কিন্তু তার পরিবার এট অশ্রু থামবে?
শ্রীলংক যদি ফাঁসি মাফ পাই বাংলাদেশ কেন পেল না?
সৌদি আরব থেকে দেশে আনা হলো নজরুল আর সিতির দে/হ pic.twitter.com/VdGTdRrehd
— Taher mia (@mia_taher60782) October 18, 2026
“We demand justice,” posted @RealSantanuu.
সৌদি আরবে ফাঁসি দেওয়া হলো দুই বাংলাদেশিকে 😢
নজরুল ইসলাম ও সিতি আক্তার | আমরা বিচার চাই!#Bangladesh #NazrulIslam #SitiAkhtar #HumanRights pic.twitter.com/Faj1Evrd62
— X_Santanu (@SantanuuHalder) October 20, 2026
Bangladeshi Supreme Court advocate and human rights defender Barrister Khan Khalid Adnan also called for disclosure of details surrounding the case, citing the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
“Article 36 of the convention requires authorities to inform detained foreigners of their consular rights without delay. If a detainee requests it, the relevant consulate must also be notified without delay,” he said.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a Paris-based human rights organisation, condemned the executions as well.
“JMBF firmly rejects capital punishment for alleged violations of religious, moral, or social norms. JMBF is particularly alarmed by information indicating that the two Bangladeshi nationals were denied legal representation and consular assistance during the proceedings leading to their executions,” the organisation said.
The executions, it added, were “fundamentally incompatible with human dignity and internationally recognised principles of justice.”
Also Read: Migrant remittances & IMF loan have limits. Now Bangladesh must rebuild its institutions
Killed without a fair trial, family says
What has deepened the mystery surrounding the circumstances of the executions is a confidential Bangladeshi consular memo. Dhaka Tribune reported on Tuesday that the two had been arrested about three years ago.
Nazrul Islam was detained on 1 August 2023 under Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime law, while Sweety Akhtar was arrested the next day on allegations of adultery. The memo offers no explanation for the discrepancy between these allegations and that of the “indecent act” inside a mosque.
The families of the two executed Bangladeshis are demanding answers.
Fazal Mia, Sweety Akhtar’s father, said he was unaware of the death sentence and was still waiting for official confirmation that his daughter had been executed.
“We do not know what has happened to my daughter. We do not even know whether she is alive or dead. We have only heard rumours,” he said.
Islam, 22, had left Bangladesh in 2022 and worked as a cleaner in Saudi Arabia, his family told The Daily Star, in a report titled “Our son was killed without a fair trial”. While the family was aware that their son was in prison, they received no advance notice of his execution. They learnt about it from media reports. They have not been able to verify key details about the case: what charges their son faced, if he received legal assistance, or an opportunity to defend himself in court.
“If my son was executed without just cause, I want justice,” Islam’s father, Abdul Basir, told The Daily Star. He also told Jago News 24 that the family did not know Akhtar.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)