Actor Jaher Alvi (Niamat Ullah Bhuiyan), accused of instigating the suicide of his wife Afra Ivnath Khan Ikra, remains untraceable. Although there were reports that he returned to the country on Sunday night, he has not been seen since. No one can confirm his current whereabouts.
Multiple sources close to Alvi and Ikra told Prothom Alo that Jaher Alvi arrived in Dhaka from Nepal on Sunday afternoon via Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. He reportedly stayed inside the airport for quite some time. A few hours after landing, he left the airport through mediation by an intermediary. However, as Alvi’s phone, Facebook, and all other communication channels remain switched off, confusion persists over whether he has indeed returned.
Alvi spoke to Prothom Alo around noon on Sunday. He had traveled to Nepal several days earlier for a shooting project. The same production also featured the actress believed to be Alvi’s romantic partner—whose relationship with him had reportedly caused longstanding tension between Alvi and his wife Ikra.
At around 12:00 pm on Sunday, Alvi told Prothom Alo that he would return to Dhaka from Nepal by evening and would speak to the media about the entire matter upon his return. Although he appears to have come back as stated, he has not yet made any public comments. Since Sunday evening, his Facebook account has been deactivated. His personal phone number is also switched off, and he cannot be reached via WhatsApp.
Some individuals close to Alvi within the entertainment industry have said that going into hiding will only worsen his situation. They believe he should speak out about the incident—particularly about what happened that day that led Ikra to take her own life.
Following the death of Afra Ivnath Khan Ikra, a case has been filed against her husband Jaher Alvi and his mother, Nasrin Sultana Shewly. The case was filed on Sunday at Pallabi Police Station. The complainant is Ikra’s maternal uncle, Sheikh Tanvir Ahmed. According to Tanvir Ahmed, the case accuses Jaher Alvi and Nasrin Sultana of abetting suicide, as well as negligence and abuse over the past two years.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) AKM Alamgir Jahan of Pallabi Police Station told Prothom Alo on Sunday that a case has been filed and the investigation is ongoing. Efforts are underway to arrest the accused. A source involved in the investigation said a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) has been sent to airport immigration authorities, as the accused was believed to be abroad, so that he could be arrested promptly upon arrival in the country.
On Monday morning, OC Alamgir Jahan said there was still no confirmed information regarding Alvi’s whereabouts and that the investigation is continuing.
Investigating officer Azim Ahmed said it is still uncertain whether Alvi has returned or not.
“Our investigation is ongoing,” Azim added.