Clip of man wearing female Muslim headscarf filmed in Bangladesh, not India

A video from Bangladesh of a man wearing a female Muslim headscarf in an apparent bid to evade arrest has been falsely portrayed as an incident in Hindu-majority India. The claim was repeatedly shared in posts supporting the introduction of a common civil code, a goal shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party but which some Muslims fear would encroach on their religious laws.

"The beautiful begum (Muslim woman) has a special need for a burqa," read the Hindi-language caption to the video, in an apparently sarcastic reference to the man.

The video shows police officers taking the headscarf off the man and lifting up the abaya he was wearing to reveal several packages taped to his body.

"It's under these burqas the Muslims smuggle weapons," the July 25, 2024 Facebook post added. "That is why Uniform Civil Code has become a necessity."

India has a common criminal law but rules on personal matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance vary based on the customary traditions of different communities and faiths.

Prime Minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long pitched a uniform civil code as a way to improve gender equality as women's rights in India vary considerably depending on which code they fall under (archived link).

But many communities, particularly Muslims, fear the legislation would encroach on their religious laws and see it as an attack on their identity and against India's secular constitution.