Saudi Arabia executes two Bangladeshis, Dhaka says it was not told of the death sentences

Summary

Saudi Arabia executed two Bangladeshi citizens, Suety Akhter and Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir, on 14 October in Mecca, according to Middle East Eye. Akhter, from Tangail, worked as a cleaner for the Al-Majal company after leaving Bangladesh, and Abdul Basir, 22, from Brahmanbaria, also worked there as a cleaner. Akhter's family learned from news reports that she had been sentenced to death, and they said she was not told beforehand. The Saudi Ministry of Interior confirmed the executions in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, published only in Arabic. The report says the cases came shortly after Sri Lanka intervened to overturn a death sentence against one of its own citizens in Saudi Arabia, and it raises questions about why Dhaka was not informed of the sentences and how far Bangladesh will go to protect its workers overseas.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   22 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Saudi Arabia executed Bangladeshis Suety Akhter and Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir on 14 October in Mecca, that Akhter's family learned of the death sentence from news reports, and that the case raises questions about why Dhaka was not informed.