Police have sought a seven‑day remand for Satkhira‑4 lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam and his first wife in a case filed over abetting the suicide of his second wife, Mariam Khatun.
Sher‑e‑Bangla Nagar Police Station Sub‑Inspector Shamsuddoha Sarkar, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the petition before a Dhaka court on Monday.
MP Nazrul and his first wife were brought before the court at 2:22pm. They are currently kept in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court’s lock‑up.
Mariam’s father, SM Masum Billah, filed the case on Sunday night accusing Nazrul, his first wife Maksuda Islam, and their driver Obaidur Rahman. Following the case, Nazrul and Maksuda were shown arrested.
According to the case statement, around 5:30pm Nazrul phoned Mariam’s father and asked him to come quickly to the NAM flat. He, along with Mariam’s aunt, went to the flat on the third floor of a building at the NAM complex on Manik Mia Avenue.
They saw a crowd gathered. The room where Mariam was staying was locked from inside. Through the window, she was seen hanging from a ceiling fan, the statement said.
Later, in the presence of police, Public Works Department (PWD) employee Saidul Islam broke the door open. Police prepared an inquest report and sent the body to the morgue for autopsy.
Allegations of abuse after marriage
The case statement said Mariam married MP Nazrul in June this year, and after marriage she lived with her husband and his first wife, Maksuda, in the flat.
From the beginning of the marriage, Nazrul and Maksuda subjected Mariam to physical and mental abuse over various issues. At different times, Mariam informed her family members of the abuse over the phone.
The complainant alleged that, unable to bear the torture and provocation of her husband and his first wife, Mariam took her own life.
A handwritten letter was recovered from Mariam’s bed. It mentioned issues of betrayal, emotional distress, and strain in relationships, the case mentioned.
Police are investigating whether the letter was written by Mariam herself and whether it has any link to the suicide.
The case also named driver Obaidur Rahman as an accused. Mariam’s family alleged that it was at Obaidur’s instigation that Mariam married Nazrul. They claimed Mariam later took her own life due to torture by Nazrul and Maksuda, and provocation from the accused.
Controversy over video on social media
In July, a video involving MP Nazrul circulated on social media, sparking criticism. The lawmaker later publicly claimed the young woman in the video was his second wife and that he married her with the consent of his first wife.
Later, the release of Mariam’s biodata led to further debate over the timing of the marriage and other details. The authenticity of the video was also contested on social media with conflicting claims.
On 22 July, Jamaat‑e‑Islami announced Nazrul’s expulsion from the party. The party said letters were sent to the Speaker, the Election Commission, and other relevant authorities.
Accused in Pallabi case as well
On the day Mariam’s body was recovered, Nazrul submitted High Court bail documents to a Dhaka court in connection with a Pallabi attempted murder case.
The lawmaker appeared before the court of Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Jonaid and submitted the bail papers.
Earlier, on 10 August, the High Court had granted him eight weeks’ bail in the case. Nazrul’s personal driver Obaidur Rahman filed the case with Pallabi Police Station on 21 July. Alongside Nazrul, Aminur Rahman, Masum Billah, Motasim Billah, and Rakibul Hasan were also accused.
The case alleged that Obaidur was assaulted. It claimed the attack stemmed from a dispute over Obaidur’s niece’s relationship with Nazrul.
