Millions of people leave their country with the dream of improving their family’s future by working abroad. A large number of people from Bangladesh also go to Saudi Arabia for employment. But the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia has raised questions about the safety of foreign workers, strict laws and judicial process there. According to the report, two Bangladeshi nationals named Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar were sentenced to death in Makkah on 14 October 2026.

Saudi officials said the two were convicted of allegedly committing immoral acts at a mosque. However, officials did not say what happened inside the mosque. The fact that these two are husband and wife has not been independently corroborated. It was claimed on social media that the two kissed in a mosque, but this has not been officially confirmed. The Bangladesh government says it was not informed before the execution. It has sought details of the case and judicial process from the Saudi authorities.

Details of the sentencing process have been sought

Another big question that arose after this incident is whether it is necessary to inform the government of a foreign citizen before giving him capital punishment? According to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, it and its diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia were not informed about the execution before the execution. After the news broke, Bangladesh sought full details of the charges, trial and sentencing process from the Saudi government.

Concerns over capital punishment in Saudi

To understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to look at the statistics of death penalty in Saudi Arabia. The report mentions executions of foreign nationals and old case statistics. Human rights organization Amnesty International has also expressed concern over the increasing use of the death penalty and fair trial in Saudi Arabia. After all, for what crimes are people being hanged there, how many foreign nationals are their victims, and is it necessary to inform the government of another country? Come on, let’s understand.

4 important points related to the case-

Date of execution: Both were executed on 14 October 2026 in Makkah area.
Blame: Saudi officials spoke about alleged immoral acts inside the mosque, but did not provide full details.
Bangladesh side: The consulate there and the Ministry of External Affairs did not receive the information earlier.
Now what happened: Bangladesh has sought information from Saudi Arabia on charges, trials and documents related to the execution.

The family received information about the execution from the public

The Bangladeshi youth who received the death sentence was about 22 years old. According to a BBC Bangla report, his mother said that after completing his studies from the madrasa, he went to Saudi Arabia through an agent on 10 November 2022. He was a sanitation worker in Riyadh and the eldest of two brothers and two sisters in a family.

Police took him into custody about six months after he arrived in Saudi Arabia. According to the family, in his last days he had confessed to having an affair with a woman. He last spoke to his mother on the phone three days before the execution, but did not give any information about the execution. Later this information was received from people and family members.

Which crime can be executed in Saudi?

Saudi Arabia provides for the death penalty for many serious crimes. Apart from murder, death penalty is also given for some other crimes here. According to the report of Amnesty International, a large number of people have been hanged in cases related to drug trafficking. It also has a large number of foreign nationals.

Major offenses can be understood as:

murder: Death penalty can be given in case of intentional murder.
Drug Trafficking: Death penalty is also given for drug trafficking and some other drug related offences.
Terrorism: Death penalty is also awarded in some cases related to terrorism.
Rape: The death penalty is possible in some cases of serious sex crimes.
Kidnapping and armed robbery: In some serious cases, especially with other serious crimes, the death penalty may be imposed.
Other Offenses: The death penalty has also been used for treason and some other crimes for which the court has special powers to determine the punishment.

However, not every crime carries the death penalty. Punishment depends on the legal category the case falls under and the court’s verdict.

How many people were executed in Saudi Arabia?

According to the report, 330 people have been hanged in Saudi Arabia in 2024. The report also mentions that citizens of countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, Egypt, Jordan and Ethiopia are being executed. In which cases of citizens of India, Sudan and Afghanistan are also mentioned. However, when reading these data, it is important to keep their time period and source in mind.

Data from Amnesty International also shows that the issue of capital punishment for foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia is an old one. According to the organization, the number of executions in 2024 was much higher. For foreign workers, challenges such as language barriers, access to lawyers and distance from family can make the legal process more difficult. This does not mean that every foreign national is treated unfairly, but the question of a fair trial and legal aid is important.

In which cases is death penalty awarded?

According to Amnesty International’s July 7, 2025 report, a total of 1,816 people were executed in Saudi Arabia between January 2014 and June 2025. Out of which 597 people were given death sentence in drug smuggling related cases and 286 people were given death sentence in terrorism related cases.

In the year 2024, 345 people were executed in Saudi Arabia, of which 122 were convicted of drug-related crimes. At the same time, 180 people were executed between January and June 2025. Of these, in the month of June alone, 46 people were sentenced to death, of which 37 were convicted in drug-related cases. Among these 37 people, 34 are foreign nationals.

Is it necessary to inform the foreign government before execution?

Bangladesh’s biggest objection in this matter is that its officials were not informed before the execution. Diplomatic and consular rights of foreign nationals are specified in international law. The Minister of State for External Affairs said, “Bangladeshi nationals are serving jail terms in various cities of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia periodically sends a list with identification details. This allows us to officially know who was arrested, when and under what circumstances and whether they are in jail. We are checking the lists to see if their names are included. We also did not get this information from the families. “All we know is that the incident took place in 2023 and that he was detained that year.”