Nazrul Islam, a 22-year-old migrant worker from Bangladesh, was executed by authorities in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on October 14. Islam, who originated from Birampur village in the Brahmanbaria district, had been working in the kingdom as a cleaner since November 2022. The Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed the execution of Islam and a woman named Sweety Akhtar, citing their conviction for an "indecent act" committed inside a mosque. The ministry did not provide specific details regarding the nature of the offence.
The execution has left the family of the young man in deep distress, compounded by financial hardship. According to his father, Abdul Basir, the family had borrowed approximately 7 lakh taka to facilitate Nazrul's migration to Saudi Arabia in pursuit of better employment prospects. Following the news of his death, the family has expressed that they were not given prior notice of the execution, nor were they aware that such a severe sentence had been passed. Reports indicate that Nazrul’s paternal aunt passed away from a heart attack shortly after the family was informed of his death.
Discrepancies have emerged between the ministry’s statement and records maintained by Bangladeshi authorities. Information obtained by Bangladesh officials suggests that Saudi records from August 2023 indicated the pair had been detained for other matters, including allegations of adultery and, in some instances, cybercrime. However, these documents reportedly contained no mention of an impending death sentence. The Saudi ministry clarified that the punishment was administered under "ta’zir," a discretionary form of sentencing in Islamic law where the presiding judge determines both the nature of the crime and the resulting penalty.
Nazrul’s mother, Rahima Begum, stated that her son had maintained regular contact with the family via telephone from prison, speaking with them every Sunday throughout his detention. Relatives have alleged that the legal process did not afford him an adequate opportunity to defend himself against the accusations. In the wake of these events, the family is urgently requesting that the Bangladeshi government intervene to facilitate the return of his body to his home village.
Local administrative officials in Brahmanbaria have noted that they are prepared to provide assistance according to established protocols should the body be repatriated. Md Abu Sayeed, the Deputy Commissioner of Brahmanbaria, stated that his office had not received specific instructions from central authorities regarding the case as of yet and noted that the family had not formally submitted an application for assistance.
The incident has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers in the region. As the family struggles with both grief and the burden of the debt incurred to send their son abroad, they have called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the execution. The case remains a point of concern for migrant communities, highlighting the complexities and strict judicial environment that expatriates can encounter while working in the kingdom.
As of now, the government of Bangladesh has yet to issue a formal statement regarding any diplomatic efforts to investigate the legal proceedings or the specific evidentiary basis for the sentences imposed by the Saudi court. The family’s primary focus remains on securing the return of Nazrul’s remains to allow for final funeral rites, while they continue to process the abrupt and unexpected nature of the loss.
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