00:02Two Bangladeshi nationals beheaded in Mecca for allegedly an indecent act.
00:08This incident grabbed global attention for a number of reasons.
00:12One, over the extreme punishment for an alleged act of affection.
00:16And second, that Saudi Arabia chose not to inform Bangladesh about the execution of two of their nationals.
00:22Let me first tell you exactly what happened.
00:30Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals in a case that raises serious questions about the kingdom's criminal justice system
00:37and the limits of judicial discretion under Islamic law.
00:41The two individuals, identified as Nasrullah Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar,
00:47were executed in the Mecca region on October 14th,
00:51after a court sentenced them to death for what Saudi authorities described as an indecent act inside a mosque.
00:58The Saudi statement did not elaborate at all on what the acts were.
01:03It's also not confirmed whether the two were married to each other.
01:07But what's known is that they were in jail for some time.
01:11Their sentences were upheld by the highest court and authorized by a royal decree.
01:15Riyadh cited the gravity of violating the sanctity of both time and place.
01:21Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most prolific users of capital punishment.
01:26Human Rights Watch reported at least 356 executions in 2025,
01:31most for non-violent drug-related offenses.
01:35Now, this incident came despite Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman saying
01:40for the last many years, including in a 2022 interview,
01:43that the death penalty had been restricted to just murder cases.
01:47Saudi Arabia imposes death sentences under three broad categories of Islamic law.
01:53Qisas, which is retribution primarily for murder.
01:56Hudud, which is punishments prescribed for specific offenses.
02:01And Tazir, for discretionary punishments, including for drug trafficking and other crimes.
02:06These two Bangladeshis were sentenced to death under Tazir.
02:11Their sentences were reportedly upheld by the relevant judicial authorities,
02:15followed by a royal order.
02:18Islamic law broadly separates fixed punishments from Tazir,
02:22where a judge has discretion over the penalty.
02:24Because the offense here was never really specified publicly,
02:28outsiders simply cannot assess how this sentence was reached.
02:32But what law did the Bangladeshis actually violate to be executed in this manner?
02:37Saudi is extremely strict about the rules to be followed while in Mecca.
02:40And here's a glimpse of what they are.
02:42Pilgrims are expected to wear clothing that covers appropriately.
02:46Loose, modest clothing is recommended for men and women,
02:48particularly at religious sites.
02:50There's also a rule for visitors to avoid disruptive behavior.
02:54So that's loud conversations, littering, smoking and actions that disturb worshippers.
02:59Public displays of affection are not allowed.
03:02In this case, that's what these Bangladeshi nationals were reportedly caught indulging in.
03:07So kissing any intimate physical contact in public
03:10is in conflict with local, social and religious norms
03:13and so is viewed as a sin and a crime.
03:16Now, this execution has also led to an objection from Dhaka
03:20as the country wasn't even informed by Saudi authorities of the execution order.
03:25Bangladesh's consulate in Jeddah has said that it was not told beforehand
03:29and has formally asked Saudi authorities to acknowledge the matter.
03:33Dhaka has raised the issue with the Saudi ambassador
03:36while saying it expects Tais to stay strong.
03:39Why do they believe that they ought to have been told?
03:42Well, according to Article 37A of the Vienna Convention,
03:46both countries are signatories of this convention,
03:48a state has to inform without delay the consular post
03:52in whose district the death occurred with a foreign national dice.
03:56There's no explicit rule, however,
03:58that states that advanced notification of an execution is required.
04:02Dhaka particularly has questioned the secrecy of this execution,
04:05with the government reiterating that they found out only through media reports.
04:09Riyadh reportedly only informed the families of the two Bangladeshi nationals
04:13after the execution.
04:15Though there have been some reports that suggest that these two nationals
04:18have been behind bars for quite some time
04:20and the families were in the loop.
04:23This is the second case related to death sentences
04:25of foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia
04:27that's grabbed the international spotlight.
04:29A Sri Lankan Hindu immigrant, Anurjan Sivarasa,
04:33was recently sentenced to death for blasphemy
04:35before having his conviction overturned with Lanka's intervention.
04:39In this case, however, no intervention was possible
04:42since Saudi did not inform Bangladesh about the execution.
04:45And that's what's led to global outreach.
