According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), citing the Ministry of Interior, Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Siti Akhtar were involved in an “obscene act” at a mosque in Mecca. A Saudi official said security authorities arrested the two individuals and presented them before the competent court.
The ministry said the court delivered its verdict against Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Siti Akhtar after finding the charges against them proven. In determining the punishment, the court considered the seriousness of the case, the act committed against the sanctity of the mosque and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Saudi authorities imposed the death penalty under the principle of ta'zir, a category of punishment in Islamic law that allows judges discretion in determining penalties for offences for which no fixed punishment is prescribed.
According to BBC Urdu, the ministry said an appeal had been filed against the lower court's verdict before the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling and maintained the death sentences.
A royal order was subsequently issued to implement the decision. Acting under that order, Saudi authorities executed both individuals on October 14.
The Bangladeshi consulate in Jeddah said it had not received prior notification of the executions. The consulate has sought formal confirmation of the case from Saudi authorities.
An official from the consulate told The Daily Star on October 15, “The ministry had not informed the consulate in advance about this.”
The official added, “We have sent a formal diplomatic letter to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard and requested formal confirmation of the case.”
Saudi authorities have not disclosed what exactly occurred during the alleged obscene act. They have also not specified when the incident took place or when the appeal against the death penalty was filed.
Local Saudi newspapers have not published extensive details about the case either. Their coverage has largely been limited to statements issued by the Ministry of Interior.
The case has drawn attention to the application of ta'zir in Saudi Arabia's judicial system and the discretion available to judges in determining punishments.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi courts deliver verdicts based on the principles of Sharia law and judicial discretion. Sharia is based on Islamic religious principles, with the Quran and Sunnah playing central roles.
Ta'zir refers to discretionary punishment imposed by a judge for offences for which Islamic law does not prescribe a fixed penalty. Amnesty International describes it not as a single law but as a category of punishment within Islamic law.
This category gives judges the authority to determine penalties for conduct that does not fall under prescribed punishments or the categories of retributive justice. In Saudi Arabia, judges have considerable discretion both in determining the nature of an offence and in deciding the appropriate punishment.
Depending on the circumstances, penalties under ta'zir can range from a formal warning or a fine to imprisonment. In certain circumstances, the death penalty can also be imposed.
Amnesty International says Saudi Arabia has traditionally lacked a comprehensive written penal code. Its judicial system has relied substantially on Sharia principles and judicial discretion.
According to figures cited by Amnesty International, more than 175 people had been executed in Saudi Arabia by October 2026, covering the first nine months of the year.
Saudi Arabia is among the countries that carry out the highest number of executions worldwide. Most of those executed this year were foreign nationals. During 2026, at least 94 foreign nationals from more than 20 countries were executed in Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, Saudi courts have also handed down prison sentences lasting several decades in cases involving social media posts. However, substantial changes to some of these sentences have occurred during appeals.
Amnesty International has noted that many offences and their corresponding punishments are not explicitly defined in Saudi Arabia's laws. In such cases, judges deliver verdicts based on their interpretations of Sharia principles.
Although written laws also exist in the country, authorities frequently use broad and vaguely worded provisions in counterterrorism and cybercrime legislation. These include provisions relating to conduct that affects public order, religious values and public morality.
The executions of the two Bangladeshi nationals, carried out after the Supreme Court upheld the verdict and a royal order was issued, have also raised questions about consular notification, as Bangladesh's diplomatic mission says it was not informed before the sentences were implemented.
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