The execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia is confirmed. Several details circulating alongside that news are not. Claims about newlyweds, a honeymoon and a kiss have travelled with unrelated photographs and old footage, creating a misleading account of what is publicly known.
As of October 20, 2026, the available information confirms the deaths of a Bangladeshi man and woman in the Makkah region on October 14. It does not establish that they were a married couple executed simply for kissing.
What is confirmed about the executions?
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry identified the two nationals as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhtar. Bangladeshi reporting also identifies the woman as Sweety Akter, with spelling variations appearing across reports.
The ministry said a court convicted them over an indecent act inside a mosque. Authorities said the death sentences underwent judicial review and received a royal order before execution. That is the official account of the proceedings. The publicly reported statement does not provide the underlying evidence or a detailed description of the alleged act.
Claim: They were newlyweds on their honeymoon
Finding: Unsupported and disputed by Nazrul’s family.
Nazrul’s father, Abdul Bachir, has denied that the woman was his son’s wife. He said the family did not know her. His account challenges social media descriptions of the pair as newlyweds. No verified marriage document or evidence of a honeymoon has emerged in the material reviewed for this fact check.
Calling them two Bangladeshi nationals accurately describes what is confirmed. Calling them a newlywed couple presents a disputed relationship as an established fact.
Claim: A forehead kiss led to their executions
Finding: Unverified.
Viral posts offer different versions, including a forehead kiss and a kiss on a pregnant wife’s belly. The Saudi statement cited in news reports does not describe either incident. Neither version can be treated as the established reason for the executions.
Some subsequent Bangladeshi reporting has referred to an adultery allegation in diplomatic communication. That remains an account of an allegation. It does not validate the viral kissing narrative or supply the full court record needed to independently assess the case.
Claim: The pregnancy photograph shows the executed pair
Finding: False for the widely shared photograph checked.
A photograph showing a man kissing a pregnant woman’s belly near the Kaaba predates this case. A published reverse-image investigation traced it to Egyptian influencer Gehad Elbana and her husband, Ramzy Mahmoud, in December 2024. The image does not identify the Bangladeshis executed in October 2026.
This finding applies to that specific photograph. Other pictures need their own identity and date checks.
Claim: The viral execution video shows their deaths
Finding: False for the circulating footage traced to 2015.
The graphic video examined by fact checkers concerns an earlier execution of a woman from Myanmar in Saudi Arabia. It is unrelated to these two Bangladeshi nationals. Reposting it with their names does not turn it into evidence of their deaths or establish the method used in their case.
What remains unanswered?
Bangladesh says it received no advance notification and has sought information from Saudi authorities. The precise conduct alleged, the evidence presented, access to legal representation and the full judgment remain essential unanswered questions in the publicly available account.
The official statement also did not name the mosque. Claims identifying the Grand Mosque as the specific location therefore require further evidence. The executions are real. The newlywed and kiss narratives remain unsupported, while particular viral photographs and footage have been falsely attached to the case.
Read the full story and timeline of the Bangladeshi nationals’ executions.