Around 7,500 Bangladeshi expatriates are currently being held in prisons across Saudi Arabia on various charges, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed has said, as Bangladesh seeks official explanations from Riyadh over the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals.

The state minister shared the information with journalists on Friday after the body of Shahed Ahmed, a Bangladeshi national who died in Saudi Arabia, arrived in Dhaka.

According to information available to the Bangladesh government, approximately 7,500 Bangladeshis are being held in prisons in different Saudi cities. Saudi authorities periodically send lists of detainees to Bangladesh, providing information about their imprisonment and sentences, she said.

Bangladesh Seeks Details of Two Executions

Shama Obaed said Bangladesh had yet to receive comprehensive information about two nationals, Nazrul Islam and Sweety Akter, who were reportedly executed by beheading on October 14 over allegations of “immoral acts” at a mosque in Makkah.

According to information from Saudi authorities, the executions took place on that date. However, Bangladesh was not informed before the sentences were carried out, the report said.

After the matter appeared in the media, the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah sent a formal letter to Saudi authorities requesting detailed information and an explanation of the incident. The Saudi ambassador in Dhaka was also summoned for discussions on the matter.

Obaed said Bangladesh had formally requested copies of the court verdicts from the Saudi government. The documents would help officials establish the circumstances surrounding the cases, she added.

Government Seeks Answers Through Diplomatic Channels

The state minister acknowledged that each country has its own laws and judicial system, and that Saudi Arabia takes decisions under its legal framework. However, she stressed that countries should be informed when their citizens are sentenced or executed abroad.

Bangladesh wants to obtain a full account of the cases and is pursuing the matter through diplomatic channels, she said. The government also hopes to take measures to help prevent similar incidents in the future.

Obaed questioned whether previous administrations had any responsibility for the lack of information about the two executions. She noted that the alleged incident dated back to 2023, when the Awami League government was in power, followed by the interim administration and then the current BNP government.

She said the current government would make every effort to protect Bangladeshi citizens once relevant information became available, while emphasising that discussions with Saudi authorities would be necessary to resolve the issue.

The minister urged the public to remain patient as the diplomatic process continues.

Support for Expatriates Affected by Middle East Conflict

Obaed also discussed government efforts to assist Bangladeshi expatriates who have returned home and become stranded because of conflict in the Middle East.

She said the government and relevant Bangladeshi diplomatic missions were working to secure extensions of their visas.

Authorities are also considering options for the rehabilitation of workers who have lost their jobs because of the conflict, including support for resettlement in Bangladesh and access to new employment opportunities.