Jamaat expels Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam over 'moral misconduct'

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expelled Gazi Nazrul Islam, the Member of Parliament for Satkhira-4, after videos of his "private moments" circulated on social media and drew widespread attention. The party's Central Executive Council took the decision at an emergency meeting on Wednesday afternoon, citing moral misconduct.

The decision was announced in a statement issued to the media by Ahsanul Mahboob Jubayer, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami's Central Publicity and Media Department.

According to the statement, the party's Central Executive Council held an emergency meeting at 4:00pm on Wednesday, 22 July, at the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition on Mintoo Road in the capital.

The meeting was chaired by Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, and members of the Central Executive Council were present.

The statement said the party conducted an internal investigation into recent media reports concerning Gazi Nazrul Islam. The investigation found evidence of moral misconduct, leading the council to decide to expel him from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami under Article 62 of the party's constitution.

The party also decided to immediately inform the Bangladesh Election Commission of his expulsion.

On Monday night, multiple videos showing the MP in what was described as "private moments" began circulating on social media. The clips showed the Jamaat lawmaker in close proximity with a young woman.

Immediately after the videos surfaced, many Jamaat leaders and activists claimed on social media that they had been created using artificial intelligence (AI).

However, on Tuesday afternoon, Gazi Nazrul Islam wrote on his Facebook account that the woman in the videos is his second wife, Mariam Begum.

He said they were married on 17 June in a family ceremony at the Dhaka residence of Mariam's father, Masum Billah, with the consent of his first wife.