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Thursday | October 22, 2026 | Dhaka

Executions in Saudi raise rights concerns

19 Bangladeshis executed since 2010
 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:09 AM, 22 October 2026

Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Bangladeshi nationals without prior notification to Bangladesh’s consular authorities has renewed concerns over due process, access to legal assistance and the protection of migrant workers facing capital punishment in the kingdom.

The two, identified by Saudi authorities as Nazrul Islam Abdul Bashir and Siti Akhtar, also known as Sweety Akhtar, were executed on 14 October in the Makkah region.

The Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah said it had not been informed of the executions beforehand.

The incident has raised questions about whether Bangladeshi nationals facing the death penalty receive adequate consular support and whether their cases are subject to sufficient legal safeguards before sentences are carried out.

Available human rights records document at least 19 Bangladeshis executed in Saudi Arabia across three reporting periods since 2010: 16 between 2010 and 2021, one in 2024 and two in October 2026.

The figures, compiled from a joint report by Reprieve and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) and subsequent monitoring, do not constitute a complete tally for the entire period, as consolidated annual data are unavailable.

16 Executed in 2010-21
A joint report by Reprieve and ESOHR, published in January 2023, documented 1,243 executions in Saudi Arabia between 2010 and 2021, including 16 Bangladeshi nationals.

The report highlighted the particular vulnerabilities of foreign nationals, including migrant workers who may face difficulties obtaining legal representation, understanding court proceedings conducted in Arabic and securing consular assistance.

Foreign nationals accounted for 490 of the executions recorded during the 12-year period, representing around 39 per cent of the total.

Those executed included nationals of Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Egypt and Bangladesh.

One of the most widely reported cases involving Bangladeshis occurred in October 2011, when Saudi Arabia executed eight Bangladeshi men convicted of involvement in the killing of an Egyptian security guard during a robbery.

The executions took place in Riyadh and drew criticism from Amnesty International over concerns about the fairness of the criminal proceedings.

The eight men were Ma’mun Abdul Mannan, Faruq Jamal, Sumon Miah, Mohammed Sumon, Shafiq al-Islam, Mas’ud Shamsul Haque, Abu al-Hussain Ahmed and Mutir al-Rahman.

One Executed in 2024
Saudi Arabia executed 345 people in 2024, according to ESOHR’s annual report published on 5 January 2025.

The organisation recorded 138 foreign nationals among those executed, including one Bangladeshi.

The overall death toll was more than double the 172 executions recorded in 2023.

The increase included executions for drug-related offences and other charges, prompting renewed criticism from human rights organisations over the kingdom’s use of capital punishment.

Two Executed in October
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced the execution of the two Bangladeshis on 14 October in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

The authorities said the pair had been convicted of an act described as “immoral” inside a mosque.

Their death sentences were imposed under ta’zir, a category of Islamic law that allows judicial discretion in determining punishment for certain offences.

The Bangladesh consulate’s reported lack of prior notification has added to concerns over the transparency of proceedings and the role of diplomatic missions in supporting nationals facing execution.

Record Executions in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s use of capital punishment has risen sharply in recent years.

ESOHR recorded 345 executions in 2024, while Human Rights Watch reported that the kingdom executed a record 356 people in 2025. Both figures cover all nationalities, not just Bangladeshis.

The issue carries particular significance for Bangladesh, which has around 3.5 million migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.

The documented cases highlight concerns over access to legal representation, language barriers, consular protection and the transparency of capital proceedings involving foreign nationals.

However, the available figures do not establish the total number of Bangladeshis executed by Saudi Arabia since 2010.