Bangladesh seeks answers after Saudi Arabia executes two of its citizens without notice

Bangladesh is seeking answers on why Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi nationals in the holy city of Mecca without telling Dhaka.

Last week, Saudi Arabia executed a male and a female Bangladeshi national after they were convicted of committing “indecent acts” inside a mosque.

Riyadh did not provide further details on the acts the two Bangladeshi nationals allegedly committed or whether they had legal representation in the Gulf kingdom, according to local media reports.

Reacting to the incident, Bangladesh’s minister for foreign affairs, Humaiun Kobir, told reporters that he was “very disappointed” by the lack of communication and that Dhaka was seeking an explanation on why they were executed and not informed beforehand about the execution.

“We have sought an explanation from our friendly bilateral partner to look into the matter and know why the gap in information sharing and exchanges happened here. We are in discussions," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

Earlier, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry said that it was waiting for a copy of the full verdict and the circumstances that led to the execution.

The official added that the two executed Bangladeshis were included in a list of prisoners that Saudi Arabia had shared with Bangladesh but did not indicate that they had planned to execute them.

Last week, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of a Sri Lankan national after he allegedly insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra confirmed that Riyadh had overturned the death sentence of Anojan Sivarasa.

The 27-year-old remains imprisoned after he was sentenced to five years in prison and fined three million Saudi Riyals ($800,000).

The court handed down the sentence amid intense criticism of Riyadh's legal system.

Saudi Arabia relies on interpretations of Islamic law, alongside cybercrime and counterterror legislation, to target online expression under the guise of protecting "public morals".

This has resulted in a surge of decades-long prison terms for social media users and an increased use of capital punishment.