BS News Agency: Intense debate and uproar has begun at the diplomatic and international levels over the execution of two Bangladeshi citizens on serious charges of committing so-called 'immoral acts' inside the Holy Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Although this extreme punishment was carried out by the Saudi administration on October 14, the failure to disclose the reason for the death sentence, the transparency of the trial process, and specific information about the crime has created serious dissatisfaction among international human rights organizations and the general public of Bangladesh. According to Saudi Home Ministry sources, the two Bangladeshi citizens sentenced to death are Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar, residents of Brahmanbaria Sadar in Chittagong Division. Nazrul, who migrated to Saudi Arabia in November 2022, was working as a cleaner at the traditional Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca. However, he was arrested just eight months after joining the job. It is alleged that he and Siti Akhtar were involved in immoral acts inside the mosque. However, the Saudi authorities have not given a clear answer on the basis of which this immoral trial was carried out. Despite several misleading claims on social media, Nazrul's family has claimed that it is a complete conspiracy. According to Nazrul's family, he had a dispute with a Pakistani colleague and that enmity may have framed him in a false case. The most controversial aspect of this incident is the complete ignorance of the Bangladesh government. Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam has clearly stated that the Saudi administration did not inform Dhaka in advance about the execution of the two citizens. It has been alleged that even the consular assistance and information exchange that are mandatory under the Vienna Convention were not respected. Although the list of prisoners sent to the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah mentioned adultery and ICT-related crimes, there was no hint of the death penalty. Expressing anger over this, the Bangladesh government has sent a 'diplomatic note' to Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Zafar H. Bin Abiah, seeking a formal explanation. On the other hand, there has been extreme complexity in repatriating the bodies of the deceased. Currently, the process is stalled due to the temporary disruption of direct flight services between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. According to international lawyers and human rights experts, this trial is a gross failure of the global legal framework. Questions have begun to be raised on the entire world stage about the way the lives of two people were taken without any clear evidence or a public and transparent hearing.
