Bangladeshi authorities say they were not informed of the execution of two of their nationals in Saudi Arabia until after the sentences had been carried out, according to local media reports.
A Bangladeshi man and woman were executed last Wednesday in the holy city of Mecca after being convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque, according to Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry.
The ministry did not provide further details about the alleged offence, but said the death sentences were imposed under tazir, a category of punishment in Islamic law left to the discretion of a judge.
The ministry said the severity of the offence and the violation of the mosque’s sanctity were factors in the sentences.
Bangladesh’s government has since contacted Saudi authorities to request more information about the case, including details of the alleged offences and the legal proceedings.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the government would consider its next steps, including the possible repatriation of the bodies, once it received further information from Saudi Arabia.
She added that Bangladesh remained committed to protecting the welfare and interests of its citizens living and working abroad.
According to The Daily Star, the two nationals were included on a list of prisoners shared by Saudi Arabia with Bangladesh following a request from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah. However, the list reportedly did not indicate that they had been sentenced to death.
The executions have raised concern in Bangladesh, which maintains close religious and economic ties with Saudi Arabia. More than three million Bangladeshis live and work in the kingdom, many of them employed in low-paying jobs.
The executions come amid wider scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s use of capital punishment against foreign nationals.
Amnesty International figures cited in reports indicate that Saudi Arabia has executed around 100 people this year, including numerous foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offences.
In 2011, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in Riyadh after being convicted of killing an Egyptian national.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia overturned a death sentence imposed on a Sri Lankan man who had been convicted of blasphemy over a Facebook comment. The decision followed public outcry in Sri Lanka and diplomatic efforts seeking clemency.
Bangladesh is awaiting further clarification from Saudi authorities before deciding on its response to the executions.