Is the beheading video circulating as footage of the execution of two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia genuine?

Following reports that two Bangladeshi nationals had been executed in Saudi Arabia, a disturbing video began circulating on social media. The video shows a woman wearing a burqa surrounded by several people as she is beheaded. Posts on various social media platforms claimed that the footage showed the execution of the two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia on 14 October. However, a fact-check has revealed that this claim is entirely false. The video is not related to any recent incident and has no connection with the execution of the two Bangladeshi nationals.

The video actually dates back to an incident in 2015. The woman shown in the footage was identified as a Myanmar national, not a Bangladeshi citizen. In other words, footage of an old incident is being circulated as though it depicts a recent event, spreading misinformation on social media.

How Was the Video's True Identity Established?

To verify the authenticity of the video, Inscript conducted a reverse image search using a still from the footage. The search led to a report published by Pakistani news outlet Dawn on 27 January 2015. The report revealed that the video showed the execution of a woman in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

According to the report, the woman was identified as Laila bint Abdul Mutalib Basim, a Myanmar national. She had been convicted of sexually abusing and murdering her seven-year-old stepdaughter. She was publicly beheaded in Makkah in 2015. Footage of the incident had also been shared in a Facebook post by the news outlet Middle East Eye on 17 January 2015. The post stated that the woman had denied murdering the child before her execution.

Therefore, the video has no connection with the recent incident. Footage from an old case is being presented as evidence of a new event. Examining when and where the video was first published, as well as the circumstances surrounding the incident, makes it clear that the claim is misleading.

The Execution of the Two Bangladeshis Is a Real Incident

Although the video is old, reports that two Bangladeshi nationals were executed in Saudi Arabia are not false. News outlets, citing an announcement by the Saudi authorities, reported that two Bangladeshi nationals were executed in Makkah on 14 October. Various reports identified them as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar.

According to the Saudi authorities, they were sentenced to death for allegedly engaging in ‘indecent acts’ that violated the sanctity of a mosque. However, the official statement did not provide detailed information about the specific acts for which they were convicted. It also did not clarify the method by which the executions were carried out.

News circulating on social media should not automatically be accepted as true. This is particularly important when dealing with sensitive subjects such as executions, violence and religious sentiments. When old photographs and videos are linked to recent incidents, they can create false impressions among the public. People may also begin forming opinions based on misleading footage rather than seeking accurate information about what actually happened.

In this case, the original news reports and the source of the footage were examined to establish its authenticity. The investigation revealed that the video dates back to 2015 and has no connection with the execution of the two Bangladeshis in 2026.