MP Gazi Nazrul remanded for 4 days over second wife’s death

A Dhaka court on Monday, 21 September, granted four days’ remand for Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam and one day for his first wife, Maksuda Begum, for questioning in a case over allegedly abetting the suicide of Nazrul’s second wife, Mariam Khatun.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ehsanul Islam issued the remand order in the case filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police produced Nazrul and Maksuda before the court after noon. Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Shamsuzzoha Sarkar of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station sought seven days’ remand for each accused.

Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki argued for the remand on behalf of the state. Defence lawyers, including Mahbubur Rahman, sought rejection of the remand pleas and bail for the accused. The court issued its order after hearing both sides.

Police recovered Mariam Khatun’s hanging body on Sunday from Flat 203 on the third floor of Building No. 5 of NAM Building in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of the capital.

Mariam’s father, Md Masum Billah, filed a suicide abetment case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, naming MP Gazi Nazrul Islam, his first wife Maksuda Begum and Masum Billah’s brother-in-law Obaidur Rahman as accused.

Masum Billah stated in the case that Mariam married Nazrul under Islamic Shariah law in June. Nazrul, who was an MP, lived with Mariam and his first wife Maksuda on the third floor of Building No. 5 of NAM Building, opposite the Parliament Building in the Manik Mia Avenue area.

The case alleged that Mariam’s marriage to Nazrul took place following direct instigation by accused Obaidur Rahman. Mariam had told her family that Nazrul and Maksuda subjected her to physical and mental abuse over various issues after the marriage, according to the complaint.

Masum Billah said Nazrul called him at about 5:30pm on 20 September and asked him to urgently come to their residence. Masum Billah said he found many people at the house and learned that Mariam was hanging from a ceiling fan with a scarf around her neck inside a room.

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police broke open the door and entered the room, where Mariam’s body was found hanging from the fan with a scarf around her neck, according to the case. A suicide note written by Mariam was also found on the bed.

The complaint alleged that Mariam died by suicide after being unable to endure the physical and mental abuse and due to the accused persons’ instigation.

Gazi Nazrul came under public scrutiny in July after several videos described as showing “personal moments” between him and Mariam were circulated on social media.

Jamaat-e-Islami expelled Nazrul from the party on 22 July, saying an organisational investigation had established his moral misconduct. The party also informed the Election Commission of the matter.

Obaidur Rahman, Mariam’s uncle and a driver, filed a separate case with Pallabi Police Station on 21 July, accusing Nazrul of assault and attempted murder by strangulation over objections to an alleged immoral relationship and suspicions that he leaked the videos.

The High Court granted Nazrul eight weeks’ bail in that case on 10 August. Obaidur, the complainant in the earlier case, has now been named as an accused in the suicide abetment case over Mariam’s death.

Gazi Nazrul appeared before a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Sunday and submitted his bail bond.