KOLKATA: A migrant worker from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has reportedly been in a Saudi Arabian jail since 2023 over a social media post allegedly showing two Bangladeshi nationals allegedly kissing inside a mosque in Mecca. The man and woman were executed by Saudi Arabia around October 14 after being convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque.
Sahabuddin Sheikh, a resident of Balarampur village in Murshidabad, was arrested for allegedly circulating an image of the Bangladeshi nationals kissing inside the mosque.
According to police sources, Sheikh had been working as a migrant labourer in Saudi Arabia for several years. About three years ago, while he was cleaning the mosque’s floor, he saw the two Bangladeshi nationals kissing. Another youth who was present there took Sheikh’s mobile phone and captured the scene, the sources said.
Sheikh’s family fears that he could also face execution, particularly following the controversial execution of the Bangladeshi pair. His family members have contacted the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia, urging it to secure his release and help him return to India.
His mother, Kohinoor Bibi, said her son had not committed a serious crime. She said he had posted a video on social media merely to make fun and could not have imagined the consequences.
Sheikh has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past eight years and is the sole earning member of the family, she said, adding, “We are in sheer anxiety after the execution of the two Bangladeshi nationals. We don’t know what is waiting for my son.”
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Matiur Rahaman, who works with Bengal’s migrant labourers in Middle Eastern countries, said: “Sahabuddin’s family members met me urging to bring back him. The incident happened in 2023 and since then he has been spending the jail in Saudi Arabia. I have contacted the external affairs ministry of our country and embassy in Saudi Arabia. We can’t imagine that he will have to face the imprisonment. We are awaiting response from the foreign ministry in Delhi and Indian embassy.”
The Bangladeshi man and woman were executed last Wednesday after being convicted of committing an “indecent act” inside a mosque, according to the Saudi interior ministry. The ministry did not specify the nature of the act.
The BBC reported that Bangladesh had approached the Saudi Arabian government seeking further details about the case. The two Muslim-majority countries share close ties rooted in religious affinity and strong economic links. More than three million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia, mostly in low-paying jobs. News of the executions has raised public concern in Bangladesh.
According to the Saudi interior ministry, the two Bangladeshi nationals were convicted and sentenced to death under “tazir”, a term in Islamic law referring to punishments left to a judge’s discretion, the BBC reported.