Maksuda Islam, first wife of Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam, provided “important information” during her remand in a case filed over the alleged abetment of his second wife Mariam’s suicide.
Investigating officer Inspector Mohammad Salahuddin produced Maksuda before the court on Tuesday after her one-day remand and sought an order to keep her in jail.
In the petition, the IO said, “Important information related to the case was obtained during interrogation, which will assist the investigation.”
Prosecution Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam said the petition was scheduled to be heard by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ripon Hossain.
Police recovered the hanging body of Mariam from a flat at NAM Bhaban opposite the Parliament complex on Sunday evening. Later that night, police took Gazi Nazrul and his first wife Maksuda into custody.
Mariam’s father, SM Masum Billah, filed a case that night accusing Nazrul, Maksuda and Mariam’s maternal uncle Obaidur Rahman of abetting her suicide.
The two accused were shown arrested in the case and produced before a Dhaka court on Monday. After hearing a seven-day remand plea, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ehsanul Islam granted four days’ remand for Nazrul and one day for Maksuda.
According to the FIR, 19-year-old Mariam married Gazi Nazrul in June allegedly at the “direct instigation” of her maternal uncle Obaidur Rahman. She lived with Nazrul and Maksuda at Flat 203 of Building 5 at NAM Bhaban, opposite the Parliament complex.
The FIR alleges that Mariam had told her family that Nazrul and Maksuda subjected her to physical and mental abuse over various issues after the marriage.
According to the complaint, at around 5:30pm on Sunday, Nazrul called Masum Billah and asked him to come to the flat immediately. On arriving at the flat, Mariam’s father found her hanging from a ceiling fan.
The FIR also states that a handwritten “suicide note” was found on Mariam’s bed while her body was being recovered.