A Dhaka-based human rights organisation has expressed concern over Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Bangladeshi nationals and called for an impartial investigation, accountability where warranted, and legal assistance for Bangladeshis detained abroad.

The statement follows the execution of Sweety Akhtar and Nazrul Islam on October 14. Saudi authorities said the two had been convicted of an “immoral act” inside a mosque in Mecca. However, questions have emerged over the lack of prior notification to Bangladesh and the information provided to its diplomatic mission about the two prisoners’ sentences. Rights group questions lack of prior notification The Human Rights Support Society raised concerns over reports that Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia were not informed before the executions.

The organisation said the incident raised questions about the protection of Bangladeshi nationals working and living abroad, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Bangladeshi authorities have also said they were not informed of the executions before they took place. Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced the executions but did not disclose detailed information about the alleged offence in its public statement.

Bangladesh has since approached Saudi authorities to seek further details about the cases. SAUDI ARABIA · BANGLADESH The unanswered questions in the Saudi executions case Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi workers in Mecca on October 14 for what it called an “immoral act” in a mosque. Bangladesh says it was not told beforehand, and the judgments have not been made public. 6 KEY QUESTIONS · 0 FULLY ANSWERED 4 partly answered 2 unanswered Man, detained Aug 1, 2023. Spellings vary between Saudi and Bangladeshi records. Woman, detained Aug 2, 2023. Identity not yet verified by Bangladesh.

Both worked as cleaners for Al Majal Company, according to the Bangladesh consulate. One came from Brahmanbaria and the other from Tangail. The questions Tap a question to see what is known and what is still unanswered.

1What exactly were they charged with? Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said they were executed for an “immoral act” inside a mosque in Mecca .

A Bangladesh consulate letter says they were held on separate allegations : the man under the cybercrime law, the woman over alleged adultery. A prisoner list described the offences as “adultery” and “ICT”. What conduct the “immoral act” refers to, and which mosque. How the earlier allegations relate to the charge they were executed for. Whether viral online claims about kissing have any basis. Available reporting does not establish this.

Saudi Interior Ministry; Bangladesh consulate letter, via bdnews24; IBTimes UK2What did the courts decide?

The ministry said the court found the charges proven and imposed death sentences under ta’zir , a discretionary punishment where judges set the penalty.

It said the sentences were upheld by the “relevant judicial authority” and authorised by royal order , citing the “sanctity of both time and place”. Which courts heard the case, and when. The full judgments, which have not been published.

Saudi Interior Ministry, via IBTimes UK and Outlook3Did they have lawyers?UNANSWERED

The consulate says neither family asked the mission for legal help, and it received no requests for assistance from either of the two.

Saudi courts use interpreters from a state translation centre, so the mission could not supply its own. Whether either defendant had a lawyer at trial.

A Paris-based rights group, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France, alleges a lack of legal representation. This has not been independently established.

Bangladesh consulate, via bdnews24; IBTimes UK4Was Bangladesh told?

Bangladesh says it received no prior notification of the trials, sentences or executions. Saudi authorities share a prisoner list. Both names appear, but the sentence column is empty. Both are executed in Mecca. Dhaka learns afterwards. The Jeddah consulate writes to Saudi authorities for details. Dhaka meets the Saudi ambassador and hands over a note verbale. Why the death sentences did not appear on the list shared with the consulate.

Saudi Arabia had not responded to Bangladesh’s queries as of Oct 21, Reuters reported.

The general rule: under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, a detained foreign national must be told of the right to contact their consulate, and the consulate must be informed without delay if the detainee asks.

Bangladesh foreign ministry and consulate, via bdnews24 and The Daily Star; Reuters, via Outlook5What evidence is publicly available?UNANSWERED None. The Saudi statement did not describe the conduct or disclose the evidence, and the judgments have not been released.

Bangladesh’s consulate says it has no record of a Bangladeshi previously receiving the death penalty for such allegations. The evidence presented at trial. The legal reasoning behind a death sentence for this offence.

IBTimes UK; Outlook; Bangladesh consulate, via bdnews246What happens next?

Bangladesh has asked for the verdicts, details of the offences and an explanation for the lack of notice. It says it will decide its next steps after receiving them. Whether Saudi Arabia will share the judgments.

Confirmation of the woman’s identity. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has not verified it, and a family in Tangail says a circulated photo does not match their daughter. Bangladesh foreign ministry, via Outlook and IBTimes UK Sources: Saudi Interior Ministry statement; Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah letter, via bdnews24; The Daily Star, via Asia News Network; IBTimes UK; Outlook (citing Reuters).

Express InfoGenIE Created by Aniruddha Dhar Saudi prisoner list did not mention death sentences: Report A report by The Daily Star said Saudi authorities had shared a list of prisoners with the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah that included the names of Sweety and Nazrul. However, the list did not mention that either had been sentenced to death.

The consulate had sought information from Saudi authorities in September about Bangladeshi nationals detained in the region.

“They sent us a list that included the names of the two Bangladeshis, but there was no information about the verdicts,” an official from the Bangladeshi consulate general in Jeddah said, according to the report.

The official added that the list referred to “adultery” and “ICT” in connection with the two prisoners. The entries, the official said, did not provide enough information to establish a link between the listed allegations and the executions.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, has also said Saudi Arabia did not notify Dhaka before carrying out the executions. Family remains uncertain about Sweety’s fate Sweety Akhtar’s father, Fazal Mia, a labourer from Tangail in Bangladesh, said the family had not received official confirmation directly from the government about her fate.

Fazal said he had borrowed Tk 1.5 lakh four years ago to send Sweety to Saudi Arabia, hoping she would be able to earn a better living. He said Sweety initially sent money home but later told the family that she had been jailed.

“She sent money home for the first five months. One day, she called and told us she had been sent to jail,” Fazal said, according to The Daily Star.

“We do not know what has happened to my daughter. We do not even know whether she is alive or dead. We have only heard rumours,” he added.

Sweety’s mother, Johura, said her daughter was divorced and had a four-year-old daughter. According to Johura, Sweety’s elder sister, Beauty, took responsibility for raising the child after Sweety left for Saudi Arabia.

Dhaka-based Human Rights Support Society has expressed concern over the execution of a Bangladeshi couple in Saudi Arabia and called for an impartial investigation, accountability from the Bangladesh government, and legal aid for other nationals of the country detained abroad. The statement comes after Saudi authorities executed Sweety Akhtar and Nazrul Islam on October 14 after charging the duo with an “immoral act” carried out inside a mosque in Mecca.

Rights group questions lack of prior notification In the statement, the human rights body raised serious concerns over reports stating that Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant diplomatic missions weren’t informed about the executions. It added that the incident also raises concerns related to the protection of Bangladeshi expatriates, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi authorities have said they were not informed about the recent execution of two of its nationals in Mecca until it had taken place. Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry didn’t specify the nature of the offence but said the couple were convicted but said the couple were convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque. Dhaka has now said that it has reached out to Riyadh to ascertain more details about the case. Saudi prisoner list did not mention death sentences: Report

However, a report by The Daily Star states that Saudi Arabia had shared a list of prisoners with the Bangladesh mission in the kingdom which included Sweety and Nazrul’s names, but the list didn’t mention that the duo were sentenced to death. Bangladesh’s consulate general in Jeddah had sought information from Saudi authorities in September about prisoners from its country in the region.

“They sent us a list that included the names of the two Bangladeshis, but there was no information about the verdicts,” an official from the Bangladeshi consulate general in Jeddah said. The official added that the prisoner list mentioned “adultery” and “ICT” as the alleged offence against Sweety and Nazrul. “It was impossible to link the entries to the executions based on that list alone.”

Dhaka’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, has said that Saudi Arabia didn’t notify Dhaka before executing the two Bangladeshis. Family remains uncertain about Sweety’s fate Sweety Akhtar’s father Fazal Mia, a labourer who belongs to Tangail in Bangladesh, has said he remains uncertain about the news of her daughter’s death since there’s no official confirmation from the government. Fazal had borrowed Taka 1.5 lakh four years ago to send Sweety to Saudi Arabia, in order for her to secure a better life.

Fazal narrated how Sweety used to send money back home initially before the family received the tragic news of her execution. “She sent money home for the first five months. One day, she called and told us she had been sent to jail,” Fazal said, The Daily Star reported.

Fazal added, “We do not know what has happened to my daughter. We do not even know whether she is alive or dead. We have only heard rumours.”

Sweety’s mother, Johura, said that her daughter Sweety was divorced and had a four-year-old daughter. “After Sweety left for Saudi Arabia, her elder sister, Beauty, took responsibility for raising the child,” Johura said.