RIYADH/DHAKA — Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals after convicting them of committing “indecent” or “immoral acts” inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced.
The pair, identified as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir (also reported as Nazerul Islam Abdul Bashir or Nazrul Islam) and Siti Akhtar (also referred to as Siri, Sweety or Siti Akhter), were executed on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the Mecca region. The ministry said the death sentences were imposed under ta’zir — a discretionary form of punishment under Islamic law — because of “the gravity and seriousness of their actions in violating the sanctity of both time and place.”
According to the official statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, security authorities arrested the two after the alleged acts inside a mosque. The recently wedded couple were investigated, charged and referred to a competent court, which found them guilty and imposed the d3ath penalty. Higher judicial authorities upheld the verdicts, and a royal order authorised the executions.
Saudi authorities did not provide further details about the specific nature of the alleged acts.
Bangladesh said it was not informed before the sentences were carried out. The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah and the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka learned of the executions largely through media reports and subsequently sought official clarification from Saudi authorities. Officials confirmed that the two names had appeared on a general list of Bangladeshi prisoners shared by Saudi Arabia, but the list did not indicate that death sentences had been imposed or that executions were imminent.
Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry officials have requested detailed information on the allegations, the judicial process and the reasons for the lack of prior notification. More than three million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia, many in low-wage jobs, and the case has drawn public attention and concern in Bangladesh.
Social media posts, including claims that the two were newlyweds who had travelled to Mecca for their honeymoon and were executed over a forehead kiss as an expression of gratitude, have circulated widely. These specific details have not been confirmed by Saudi official statements or independently verified by major news organisations. Some family members of Nazrul Islam have also denied that the woman was his wife.
Saudi Arabia has carried out a high number of executions in 2026, many involving foreign nationals. The kingdom maintains that it strictly enforces Islamic law, particularly regarding the sanctity of holy sites such as mosques in Mecca.
Bangladesh continues to seek further official information from Riyadh while stressing the importance of bilateral relations.
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