New twist in the execution of Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia: Nazrul was unmarried and arrested for cybercrime, Siti was for adultery in 2023

New details have emerged revealing a significant twist in the case of two Bangladeshi nationals executed in Saudi Arabia last week, showing that the man, Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir, was unmarried and had been arrested on cybercrime charges, while the woman, Siti Akhtar, was arrested on allegations of adultery.

The two were put to death on Wednesday, 14 October, in the Makkah region for an “immoral act” inside a mosque, a charge that diverges sharply from the separate offences for which they were originally jailed in August 2023.

According to a confidential memo dated 18 October from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah, sent to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. The memo was obtained by the Daily Star has shed light on the sequence of events.

On 30 September, the consulate received a prisoner list. Nazrul was detained on 1 August 2023 under Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime law. Siti Akhtar was detained the following day, on 2 October, on allegations of adultery. Both had been working as cleaners for Al Majal Company in Saudi Arabia and were held in separate facilities. Nazrul at Jeddah Correctional Facility and Siti at Jeddah Women’s Prison.

The consular memo stated that none of the entries for the two individuals mentioned a death sentence, yet Saudi authorities announced their execution on 14 October. The Saudi Interior Ministry said the two were convicted of an “immoral act” inside a mosque in Makkah, a charge that the consular records do not explain in relation to the earlier allegations.

The consulate also noted it had no prior knowledge of any Bangladeshi national being sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for either a cybercrime offence or adultery.

Family disputes and unawareness

Nazrul travelled to Saudi Arabia in November 2022. According to the statement of Nazrul’s mother, Rahima Begum, “We are hearing after his execution that he was given this punishment for immoral activities. But we do not know that woman. Nazrul never told us about her either. If he had married her, we would certainly have known”.

She further said that he used to call from prison occasionally, with their last conversation taking place on 11 October, just three days before his execution.

Meanwhile, Sweety Akhtar travelled to Saudi Arabia for employment after borrowing Taka 1.5 lakh. Her father, Fazal Mia, told the local media that she called them one day and said that she was jailed over a dispute at her workplace. He told that Sweety recently talked about the possibility of returning to Bangladesh within months. After the reports of her execution, the family is in complete shock.