A Dhaka court on Thursday placed Obaidur Rahman, maternal uncle of Mariam Khatun, on a four-day remand in a case filed over alleged abetment of her suicide.
Mariam, 19, was the second wife of Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ripon Hossain passed the order after the investigation officer produced Obaidur before the court and sought a five-day remand.
State lawyer Harun Or Rashid confirmed the order.
During the hearing, state lawyer Omar Faruq Faruquee argued that investigators needed to question Obaidur to determine whether Mariam’s death was suicide or murder and whether anyone else was involved. He also said investigators needed to collect and verify information about Mariam’s marriage to Gazi Nazrul and their visits to different hotels.
Defence lawyers sought cancellation of the remand prayer and bail for Obaidur.
After hearing both sides, the court granted the four-day remand. Obaidur had been sent to jail by a court on Wednesday.
According to the case documents, the hanging body of Mariam, 19, was recovered from a flat of NAM Bhaban under Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in the capital on the evening of 20 September. At the time, the door of the flat was locked from inside.
Later, police entered the flat after breaking open the door with the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Mariam’s body was found hanging from a ceiling fan. Police said several notes were also recovered from the scene.
Police took Gazi Nazrul and his first wife Maksuda Islam into custody that night.
Mariam’s father SM Masum Billah later filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station accusing Gazi Nazrul, Maksuda and Obaidur of abetting her suicide.
The following day, a court placed Gazi Nazrul on a four-day remand and Maksuda on a one-day remand following a petition by Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Sub-Inspector Md Shamsuzzoha Sarkar.
The investigation was transferred to the Detective Branch of police later that night.
In the first information report, Mariam’s father alleged that she married Gazi Nazrul in June at the direct instigation of Obaidur.
After the marriage, Mariam lived with Gazi Nazrul and Maksuda in Flat 203 of NAM Bhaban No 5 opposite the Parliament Building.
The FIR alleged that Gazi Nazrul and Maksuda subjected Mariam to physical and mental torture over various issues from the time of the marriage.
It also said Mariam had told family members about the alleged abuse.
The Detective Branch is investigating the case based on the allegations made by Mariam’s family.
