Bangladesh yet to receive Saudi response on execution of two nationals
Dhaka is still waiting for a Saudi reply on the October 14 execution of two Bangladeshi nationals carried out without prior notice
Bangladesh is still waiting for a response from Saudi Arabia over the execution of two of its nationals, which was carried out on October 14 without notifying Dhaka’s authorities.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim said on Tuesday that Riyadh had not yet answered Dhaka’s queries about the executions, Reuters reported. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said earlier this week that Bangladesh had sought clarification on the circumstances of the executions.
The government has asked for copies of the court verdicts, details of the offences and an explanation of why Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission was not informed beforehand, she said. Islam added that Dhaka would decide on its next steps after receiving the case details and documents.
Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said a Bangladeshi man and a woman were executed after being convicted of committing indecent acts inside a mosque in the holy city of Makkah. The ministry did not specify the nature of the act. They were sentenced to death under “tazir”, a discretionary form of punishment in Islamic law, because of the severity of the offence and its violation of the mosque’s sanctity, according to Saudi media reports. The Saudi embassy in Dhaka did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia is Bangladesh’s largest overseas labour market, home to an estimated 3.5 million Bangladeshi workers whose remittances are a major economic lifeline, making migrant welfare a key bilateral issue.
Sources: Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/bangladesh-yet-receive-saudi-response-execution-two-nationals-2026-10-21/; Economic Times, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/saudi-arabia-executed-two-bangladeshis-without-informing-dhaka-government-says/articleshow/135082049.cms; Telegraph India, https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/bangladesh-awaits-saudi-arabia-response-over-execution-of-two-nationals-seeks-answers/cid/2185573
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