Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi nationals, Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, in the Makkah region on October 14, 2026, after convictions over what Saudi authorities described as an indecent act inside a mosque. Bangladesh says its mission received no advance notification and has sought a fuller explanation.
The case is circulating online as the execution of a Bangladeshi couple. However, their relationship and the precise conduct involved should not be treated as settled facts. Nazrul's father has denied that they were married, while the public Saudi statement provides limited detail about the offence.
What did Saudi authorities say?
According to the Interior Ministry's account, security authorities arrested the pair, an investigation followed, and a court convicted them. The ministry said the court imposed death sentences because of the seriousness of the offence and the violation of the sanctity of the place and circumstances.
The sentences were imposed under ta'zir, a category of discretionary punishment. The Saudi account says the verdicts became final following judicial review and that a royal order authorised their implementation. This describes the authorities' account, rather than an independent examination of the trial evidence.
Were they a married couple executed for a kiss?
That version has not been established by the reliable reporting reviewed. Nazrul's father, Abdul Bachir, told a Bangladeshi news outlet that the woman was not his son's wife and that the family did not know her. Bangladeshi reporting also refers to the woman as Sweety Akter.
The Saudi statement describes an indecent or immoral act without publicly explaining the conduct in detail. Subsequent Bangladeshi diplomatic reporting refers to an adultery allegation. Neither establishes the viral claim that the punishment was for a forehead kiss during a honeymoon.
Why is Bangladesh seeking answers?
Bangladesh's consulate in Jeddah says it was not notified before the executions. It sent a diplomatic note requesting formal information.
A later report said Saudi authorities had previously supplied a prisoner list containing the two names, but the list did not disclose their death sentences. Bangladeshi officials said that prevented the entries alone from alerting the mission to an impending execution. Dhaka has sought details from the Saudi ambassador as well.
Timeline of the case
| Date or stage | What is reported |
|---|---|
| Arrest and court proceedings | Saudi authorities say the pair were investigated, convicted and sentenced. The public announcement does not provide a complete dated trial history. |
| September 2026 | Bangladesh's mission sought prisoner information. A list subsequently supplied included their names but did not identify the death sentences, according to diplomatic reporting. |
| October 14, 2026 | The executions took place in the Makkah region. |
| After the executions | Bangladesh sought official clarification and raised the lack of advance notification. |
| October 19, 2026 | Nazrul's father publicly disputed claims that the two were husband and wife. |
What remains unclear?
The full judgment, detailed evidence, legal representation and complete consular communication record are not established by the material reviewed. The exact execution time and method are also not specified in the accounts used for this report.
The confirmed core is that two Bangladeshi nationals were executed following Saudi convictions. The unanswered questions concern the underlying evidence, the legal process and why Bangladesh says it received no advance warning.
Featured image: a representative view of Makkah. It does not identify the mosque involved in the case.