Satkhira-4 Member of Parliament Gazi Nazrul Islam, widely known as Gazi Nazrul Islam, is being held at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj following his arrest on charges of abetting the suicide of his second wife, 19-year-old Mariam Khatun.
During the opening sitting of the first day of the fourth session of the 13th parliament, Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed read a notice under Rule 172 of the Rules of Procedure, informing lawmakers that Nazrul was in custody.
According to the notice, the MP was taken from his residence at the National Assembly Members' Hostel (NAM Bhaban) to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station for initial questioning on 20 September, after a general diary was filed at the station.
He was formally arrested the following day under Section 306 of the Penal Code, which deals with abetment of suicide. The case is recorded as number 16, GR No 197, and he was subsequently produced before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, which ordered his detention.
Police recovered the hanging body of Mariam Khatun from flat 203 on the third floor of Building 5 at NAM Bhaban on 20 September. The investigation revealed that the couple had married in June, after which Mariam lived with Nazrul and his first wife, Maksuda Islam.
Mariam had reportedly told her family that she suffered physical and mental abuse from her husband and co‑wife. A video that went viral in July showed the MP with a young woman, later confirmed to be his second wife.
Following her death, her father, SM Masum Billah, filed a case against Nazrul, his first wife, and Mariam's uncle, Obaidur Rahman, accusing them of abetting her suicide. Both Nazrul and his first wife were arrested in connection with the case.
The detention underscores heightened scrutiny of political figures in Bangladesh and raises questions about the handling of domestic violence and suicide cases within the country's legal framework.
Why it matters
The detention highlights concerns over political accountability and the handling of domestic violence cases in Bangladesh.