Saudi Arabia Executes Two Bangladeshis Over Alleged Indecent Acts at Mecca Mosque

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada 19 OCTOBER 2026

Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals following their conviction over what authorities described as “indecent acts” inside a mosque in the holy city of Mecca, prompting questions after Bangladesh said it was not notified before the sentences were carried out.

The executions took place on Wednesday, October 14, in the Mecca region, according to Saudi authorities. The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced that the two individuals had been arrested, investigated, charged and tried before a competent court, which imposed the death penalty.

The case has attracted international attention because of the severity of the punishment and the Bangladeshi government’s account that it learned of the executions only after they had taken place.

However, several details remain unclear. Saudi authorities have not publicly explained the precise nature of the acts in the official statement cited by international media, and the available reports do not establish that the man and woman were married to each other.

Who were the two Bangladeshis?

Saudi and Bangladeshi media reports identified the executed individuals as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Interior’s statement, security authorities arrested the pair following the incident. Investigators subsequently referred the case to a court, which found them guilty and imposed death sentences under ta’zir — a category of discretionary punishment under Islamic law.

The ministry said the court considered the seriousness of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the time and place where it occurred.

The judgments were upheld by the relevant judicial authority before a royal order authorised their implementation, according to the Saudi statement.

The ministry did not identify the particular mosque, provide a detailed account of the alleged conduct or disclose further information about the proceedings in the statement reported by news outlets.

Bangladeshi officials have indicated that the allegations involved adultery, but Dhaka says it is still seeking a fuller account from Saudi authorities.

Bangladesh says it was not notified beforehand

The executions have raised diplomatic concerns in Bangladesh because officials say neither the country’s foreign ministry nor its diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia was informed before the sentences were carried out.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, said the government learned of the executions on October 14 and subsequently sought detailed information from Riyadh.

The Bangladesh government said it had sent a formal communication requesting clarification about the case, including the circumstances surrounding the convictions and executions.

On October 19, reports from The Daily Star said Bangladesh had summoned the Saudi ambassador in Dhaka to seek further explanations.

The Bangladeshi government has said it needs the full details before making a comprehensive assessment of the case and determining what further steps may be necessary.

The incident has also drawn attention to the practical challenges diplomatic missions face when monitoring nationals detained abroad, particularly when they are not informed of impending death sentences.

What Saudi authorities have said

The Saudi Ministry of Interior described the alleged conduct as indecent acts that violated the sanctity of a mosque.

It said the pair were convicted by a competent court and that the sentences became final after being upheld by the relevant judicial authority. A royal order was then issued to implement the punishments.

The ministry defended the executions as part of the kingdom’s enforcement of its laws and its stated responsibility to protect the sanctity of religious sites.

However, the official account cited in published reports did not set out the detailed evidence presented at trial, the exact conduct attributed to each individual or the full legal reasoning behind the death sentences.

Those unanswered questions are among the matters Bangladesh has asked Saudi authorities to clarify.

Reports reviewed for this article confirm that the two individuals were executed, but they do not independently establish the method used. Claims that they were specifically beheaded should therefore not be presented as confirmed fact without additional reliable evidence.

Viral execution video is unrelated to the case

The case has also generated misinformation online, with footage circulating on social media that purports to show the execution of the two Bangladeshis.

A fact-check published by Bangladesh-based outlet Dismislab on October 19 found that the footage was unrelated to the recent case.

Using reverse-image searches and comparisons with previously published reports, the fact-checkers traced the video to the public execution in Saudi Arabia in 2015 of a woman from Myanmar, identified in contemporaneous reporting as Laila Bin Abdul Muttalib Basim.

The woman had been convicted in a separate case involving the sexual abuse and killing of her stepdaughter.

The video therefore does not show the October 2026 executions of the two Bangladeshi nationals, despite claims attached to it on social media.

The distinction matters because sharing old footage with a new and inaccurate description can mislead the public about what happened and undermine efforts to establish the facts.

Readers are advised to avoid reposting the video as evidence of the recent case.

Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty

The executions have renewed attention to Saudi Arabia’s extensive use of capital punishment.

According to Amnesty International figures cited by The Associated Press, Saudi Arabia carried out 356 executions in 2025, placing it among the world’s most frequent users of the death penalty.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the application of capital punishment, transparency in judicial proceedings and the rights of defendants facing execution.

Saudi authorities, meanwhile, maintain that the kingdom’s criminal justice system enforces its laws and protects public order.

The latest case is likely to intensify scrutiny because of the severity of the sentences, the limited details made public about the alleged conduct and Bangladesh’s claim that it was not informed before the executions.

Questions that remain unanswered

Despite confirmation that the executions occurred, important aspects of the case remain unresolved publicly.

Bangladesh is seeking further information from Saudi Arabia about the allegations, the judicial process and the circumstances surrounding the sentences. The official statements and reports reviewed so far do not provide a complete account of the evidence presented in court.

It also remains unconfirmed in the reporting reviewed whether the two individuals were married to each other. Describing them as a “couple” could therefore create an impression that has not been established by the available evidence.

Likewise, although the executions are confirmed, the precise method should not be stated as fact without a reliable source specifically confirming it.

The diplomatic exchange between Dhaka and Riyadh may provide further clarification as the Bangladeshi government continues to seek answers.

Conclusion

The executions of the two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia are confirmed, but viral claims about the incident have mixed verified facts with details that remain unproven.

Saudi authorities say the pair were convicted of indecent acts at a mosque in Mecca and sentenced to death under the kingdom’s legal system. Bangladesh, meanwhile, says it was not notified in advance and has requested a detailed explanation.

As the case develops, the central questions concern the circumstances of the convictions, the lack of advance notification reported by Bangladesh and the information Saudi authorities provide in response to Dhaka’s inquiries.

For now, readers should distinguish the confirmed executions from unverified claims about the exact conduct, the relationship between the individuals and the method of execution.