Bangladeshi authorities say they were not informed of the recent execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in the holy city of Mecca until after it had taken place, local media reports.
A Bangladeshi man and woman were executed last Wednesday after being convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque, according to the Saudi interior ministry. The ministry did not specify the nature of the offending act.
Bangladesh says it has reached out to the Saudi Arabian government to ask for more details about the case.
The two Muslim countries share a close relationship due to their religious affinity and strong economic ties.
More than three million Bangladeshis work and live in Saudi Arabia, mostly in low-paying jobs, and news of the double execution has raised public concern in Bangladesh.
According to the Saudi interior ministry, the two Bangladeshi nationals were convicted and sentenced to death under “tazir”, which in Islamic law refers to punishments left to the discretion of the judge.
The ministry statement said they were handed the sentences because of the severity of the offence, and the fact that they violated the “sanctity” of the mosque.
Bangladesh has reached out to the Saudi government about the offences involved and legal proceedings in the case, said state minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam.
The government would consider next steps, such as the repatriation of the bodies, after getting information from Saudi authorities, Islam said.
She added that the government was committed to safeguarding the welfare and interests of Bangladeshis abroad.
The two executed Bangladeshis were included in a list of prisoners that Saudi Arabia had shared with Bangladesh, upon a request from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah – but that list did not indicate that the pair had been sentenced to death, the Daily Star reported.
This is not the first time that foreign nationals have been executed by Saudi authorities.
According to Amnesty International, the country has executed around 100 people this year, many of whom are foreigners convicted of drug offences.
In 2011, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh after they were found guilty of killing an Egyptian.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia overturned a death sentence handed to a Sri Lankan man over a comment he had made on Facebook, which had led to him being convicted of blasphemy. That decision came after the case sparked public outcry in Sri Lanka and spurred diplomatic efforts to seek clemency for the man.
