By Mahmoud Muhammad Kano
Makkah, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals, Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, after they were convicted of committing an indecent act inside a mosque in the holy city of Makkah.
According to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, the executions were carried out on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the Makkah region, after security agencies arrested the duo, investigated the matter and charged them before a competent court.
The court found them guilty and sentenced them to death under Ta’azir — a discretionary punishment under Sharia law — citing the gravity of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the time and place where it occurred. The judgment was later upheld by the relevant authorities and a Royal Order was issued for its implementation.
However, the official statement did not specify the exact nature of the act, the name of the mosque, or the date of arrest. Some media outlets described the incident as a sexual act, but the full court judgment has not been made public, making it necessary to rely only on the official statement.
The execution has drawn international attention after the Bangladeshi Embassy in Jeddah said it was not notified before the execution and has since sent a diplomatic note to the Saudi Foreign Ministry seeking official clarification.
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