Saudi Arabia has executed two Bangladeshi nationals in the Mecca region over an alleged immoral act inside a mosque, a case that has sparked diplomatic concerns in Bangladesh and widespread online claims that the pair were newlyweds executed for kissing during their honeymoon.

Ejes Gist News reports that the Saudi Interior Ministry announced the executions on 14 October, stating that the two defendants had been arrested, investigated, prosecuted and sentenced to death by a competent court. However, the official statement did not identify the precise conduct involved, name the mosque or confirm that the defendants were married.

The ministry also did not specify the method used to carry out the executions, leaving claims that the pair were beheaded without confirmation in the information publicly available.

What Saudi Arabia Said About the Executions

According to a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, security forces arrested the two Bangladeshi nationals following allegations of immoral conduct inside a mosque in the Mecca region.

The ministry said the investigation was completed and the case referred to the competent court, which convicted the defendants and imposed the death penalty as a discretionary punishment, known as ta’zir under Saudi law.

The sentence was subsequently ratified and carried out by royal order, according to the ministry.

The official statement did not provide details of the evidence presented during the proceedings or explain the precise conduct that led to the convictions.

Viral Claims About Newlyweds and a Mosque Kiss

Posts circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp have described the defendants as a newly married couple who travelled to Mecca for Umrah and their honeymoon.

Some versions claim that they were arrested after being filmed embracing or kissing inside a mosque and subsequently sentenced to death for the act.

However, the claims go beyond the information established in the official announcement and available Bangladeshi news reports.

Fact-checking reports cited in coverage of the case found no reliable evidence establishing that the pair were newlyweds, that they travelled to Saudi Arabia for a honeymoon or that kissing was the specific offence for which they were convicted.

The claim that the executions were carried out specifically because of a kiss therefore remains unverified.

Who Were the Two Bangladeshi Nationals?

Bangladeshi media outlets, including Bangladesh Pratidin and the Daily Ittefaq, identified the man as Nazrul Islam and the woman as Sweety Akhtar.

Related Stories

Reports said Islam travelled to Saudi Arabia on 10 November 2022 and was detained approximately six months later in connection with allegations of immoral conduct at a mosque in Mecca.

The reports indicated that he spent about three years in detention in Riyadh and Mecca before the execution. His family home was reported to be in Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.

The available information does not independently establish that Islam and Akhtar were husband and wife.

Bangladesh Seeks Official Explanation From Saudi Arabia

The executions have raised concerns in Bangladesh over consular notification and the treatment of its citizens facing capital punishment abroad.

According to reporting by The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s consulate in Jeddah said Saudi authorities had not notified the diplomatic mission before carrying out the executions.

The mission subsequently sent a formal diplomatic note, known as a Note Verbale, to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking confirmation and further details.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaid Islam, said on 18 October that the government had requested information from the Saudi ambassador and would consider further action after receiving a response.

The Daily Star also reported that the two individuals appeared on an earlier list of detained Bangladeshi nationals provided to the mission, but the list did not indicate that they had received death sentences.

Bangladesh’s government said it learned of the executions after they had taken place.

The limited details released by Saudi authorities have left important questions unanswered, including the precise offence, the evidence considered by the court and the circumstances surrounding the defendants’ legal representation.

Without access to the judgment and supporting evidence, it is not possible to independently assess the basis for the convictions or determine whether the punishment was proportionate to the conduct established in court.

The case also raises broader questions about capital punishment for offences that do not involve intentional killing.

Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights restricts the death penalty in countries that retain it to the most serious crimes, subject to strict safeguards. Saudi Arabia has not ratified the covenant, and the exact offence in this case has not been independently established.

The Saudi Interior Ministry’s announcement confirms that two Bangladeshi nationals were executed following convictions over an alleged immoral act inside a mosque. The more specific claims about a honeymoon, a kiss and beheading require independent verification before they can be reported as established facts.