After Saudi Arabia announced in October 2026 it had executed two Bangladeshi nationals for what it called "indecent act" at a mosque, a photo and videos circulated online with a false claim they showed the pair's bodies being returned home. They were in fact taken from unrelated events. A Bangladeshi official responsible for overseas workers also told AFP Saudi authorities had not returned their bodies when the false claim circulated.
A photo showing a group of people in Muslim attire carrying a coffin was shared on Facebook on October 18, 2026 with a caption reading: "Bodies of Nazrul and Siti brought from Saudi Arabia."
Another video was shared on Facebook on October 19 with a caption that similarly claims it shows the bodies of two Bangladeshi nationals returning from Saudi Arabia.
A separate clip showing a man crying while talking to a camera was uploaded to Facebook the following day, with a caption saying it is the father of Siti Akter saying: "As far as I can recall, I have never harmed anybody."
"Talented young girl Siti Akter went to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah," a voiceover in the video says, referring to a form of pilgrimage to Mecca. "But who knew it would be her last journey."
An image of a woman can also be seen in the video.
Screenshots of the falsely shared video taken on November 2, 2026 with red crosses added by AFP
The false claim circulated following the execution of a Bangladeshi man and woman by Saudi Arabia in mid-October (archived link).
The...
After Saudi Arabia announced in October 2026 it had executed two Bangladeshi nationals for what it called "indecent act" at a mosque, a photo and videos circulated online with a false claim they s...