MP Gazi Nazrul, 1 other arrested over alleged torture and instigation of second wife’s suicide
A case has been filed against Gazi Nazrul Islam, member of parliament (MP) for Satkhira-4, and two others on charges of instigating suicide following the recovery of the hanging body of his second wife, Mariam Khatun, from a flat at the NAM Bhaban in the capital.
Late on Sunday night, Mariam’s father, Masum Billah, filed the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station in the capital. Gazi Nazrul, his first wife Maksuda Begum and one other person have been named as accused. The third accused is Mariam’s maternal uncle, Obaidur Rahman.
Police said Gazi Nazrul and Maksuda had been arrested in the case filed over the recovery of Mariam’s hanging body on Sunday.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Ibne Mizan confirmed the information on Monday. He initially said that Obaidur had also been arrested, but later clarified that Obaidur was absconding.
Mariam Khatun’s (19) hanging body was recovered from a flat in Building no. 5 of the NAM Bhaban on Sunday evening. The flat belongs to Gazi Nazrul. He lived there with his first and second wives.
On Sunday, Mariam’s body was recovered from a room in the flat after the door was broken open. She was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a scarf wrapped around her neck.
Police from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, along with teams from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and Detective Branch (DB), later visited the scene. The body was subsequently sent to the morgue of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College for an autopsy.
According to the case statement, police said SM Masum Billah, a resident of Gabura village in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira, is a grocery shop owner by profession. His elder daughter Mariam married MP Nazrul (75) in June under Islamic law.
The marriage took place at the direct instigation of Obaidur Rahman (38), who has been named as an accused in the case. After the marriage, Nazrul lived with his second wife Mariam at the NAM Bhaban residence. His first wife, Maksuda Islam (65), also lived there.
The case statement alleges that, from the time of the marriage, Mariam was subjected to physical and mental abuse by her husband and his first wife over various issues. Mariam informed her family about the abuse by phone on several occasions.
According to the case, at around 5:30 pm on Sunday, Nazrul Islam called Mariam’s father and asked him to come to the NAM Bhaban residence immediately. After receiving the call, Mariam’s father arrived there with his sister-in-law, Sufia.
They found a large crowd at the residence. He later learned that Mariam was hanging from a ceiling fan in an inner room, with a scarf tied around her neck. The room’s door was locked from the inside.
Later, with the assistance of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police and people present at the scene, the door was broken open and they entered the room. Mariam’s body was found hanging from the ceiling fan by a scarf. Police also recovered a ‘suicide note’ from Mariam’s bed.
Md Fazlul Karim, additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division Police, told Prothom Alo that police initially believed the note might have been written by Mariam. However, it will be possible to confirm whether the handwriting is hers after the CID submits its forensic report.
Tejgaon Division Police Commissioner Md Ibne Mizan said a decision on whether to seek remand for the three accused, including MP Gazi Nazrul, would be made after discussions with senior officials.
Gazi Nazrul Islam was elected MP from the Satkhira-4 constituency in the 13th parliamentary election with the nomination of Jamaat-e-Islami. In July, a video showing him in a private moment circulated on social media. He was seen with a young woman in the video. Gazi Nazrul Islam later said that the woman was his second wife, Mariam Khatun.
Following this, Jamaat-e-Islami expelled Gazi Nazrul Islam from the party on 22 July. The party also sent letters to the Speaker, the Election Commission and other relevant authorities, calling for action against him.