Maksuda Islam, first wife of Jamaat-e-Islami MP Gazi Nazrul Islam, told investigators she had no argument with his second wife, Mariyam Khatun, before Mariyam’s death.
Maksuda and Gazi Nazrul, who were arrested in a case filed over abetting Mariyam’s suicide, were questioned face-to-face by the Tejgaon division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) on Tuesday.
An investigation officer said important information relevant to the case was obtained during the questioning.
After Maksuda’s one-day remand ended on Tuesday, investigation officer Inspector Mohammad Salahuddin produced her before the court and sought an order to keep her in jail.
In his petition, he said important information related to the case had been obtained by questioning Maksuda on remand and that it would assist the investigation.
Meanwhile, Gazi Nazrul was being questioned on a four-day remand, with Tuesday being the first day.
According to a source close to the investigation, DB officials questioned Gazi Nazrul and Maksuda together.
It was initially reported that Gazi Nazrul had gone to court on the day of the incident in connection with a case and found Maryiam’s body after returning home. However, the investigation source said both Gazi Nazrul and Maksuda admitted during questioning that they were at home when the incident occurred.
Gazi Nazrul told investigators that he left home in the morning and returned around 2pm. Some leaders and activists from his constituency had come to the house around noon, and he had lunch with them after speaking to them.
After lunch, he went to Mariyam’s room to see whether she had eaten but found the door locked from inside. After knocking and calling out without receiving any response, he eventually informed the police.
Police later arrived, broke open the door and found Mariyam’s body hanging from the ceiling fan.
On Sunday evening, police recovered the hanging body of 19-year-old Mariyam from a flat in Building 5 of NAM Bhaban, opposite the Parliament complex.
The flat belongs to Gazi Nazrul, who lived there with his first wife Maksuda and second wife Mariyam.
That night, Mariyam’s father, Masum Billah, filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station accusing Gazi Nazrul, Maksuda and Mariyam’s maternal uncle Obaidur Rahman of abetting her suicide.
The two accused were shown arrested and produced before a court on Monday. Following a hearing on a seven-day remand plea, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ehsanul Islam granted Gazi Nazrul four days’ remand and Maksuda one day’s remand.
