Who was Nazrul Islam? Bangladesh man executed for ‘indecent act’ in Saudi Arabia

A Bangladeshi migrant worker, Nazrul Islam, 22, was executed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, more than three years after he was detained by Saudi authorities. Islam was executed along with a woman on October 14.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said that the duo were convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque. However, it didn’t specify the nature of the offending act.

The Bangladesh authorities have said that the Saudi counterpart had shared records showing that the two were detained in August 2023 for crimes, including adultery, but there was no mention of their death sentences.

The Saudi ministry in a recent statement said that the death sentence was awarded under ta’zir, a form of punishment in Islamic law where the judge decides the offence and the sentence.

Who was Nazrul Islam Basir?

Nazrul hailed from Birampur village under Sultanpur union of Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila and was the eldest among four siblings, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

He left for Saudi Arabia on November 10, 2022, and worked as a cleaner in the kingdom.

Nazrul and a young woman named Sweety Akhtar were reportedly arrested by the Saudi police over allegations of an “immoral act” at a mosque in Mecca. He spent about three years and three months in detention, according to his family.

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His mother, Rahima said that Nazrul spoke to the family on call every Sunday while he was in the prison.

She said that the family was not notified in advance of his execution.

Nazrul’s family has urged the government to investigate his execution and bring his body home at state expense.

On being asked about the matter, Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Md Abu Sayeed, according to The Daily Star said, “We have received no instructions from the administration, and the family has not submitted any application either. If the body is brought back to Bangladesh, we will assist according to the rules, as he was a resident of Brahmanbaria.”

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Records show Nazrul Islam, Sweety Akhtar detained in Saudi Arabia in 2023 over separate allegations

A confidential consular memorandum and prisoner records reportedly indicate that Nazrul and Sweety were detained in Saudi in August 2023 under separate allegations, with cybercrime cited in one case and adultery in the other, according to The Dhaka Tribune.

Saudi prisoner records reportedly made no mention of death sentences, although Saudi authorities announced that both were executed on October 14.

The Saudi Interior Ministry announced that the two were executed after they were found guilty by a court of committing indecent acts inside a mosque in Mecca.

Family devastated by loss, burdened by debt

Nazrul Islam’s father, Abdul Basir, had borrowed Tk 7 lakh to send his eldest son abroad in search of work and a better future. Now, devastated by the loss and burdened by debt, Basir is pleading for the return of his son’s body.

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“The creditors are now pressuring me to repay the debt. I want my son’s body brought back home. If he was executed without just cause, I want justice,” Basir said, according to The Daily Star.

Nazrul’s relatives allege that Saudi authorities did not inform the family beforehand or give him an opportunity to defend himself.

His mother, Rahima Begum, repeatedly broke down upon learning of her son’s death. Nazrul’s family also said that his paternal aunt, Abeda Begum, died of a heart attack last Wednesday night after she heard the news.