Jamaat asks Gazi Nazrul to resign as MP, warns of appeal to Speaker and EC

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has instructed expelled Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Md Nazrul Islam to resign from Parliament, warning that it will write to the Speaker and the Election Commission (EC) seeking the cancellation of his parliamentary seat if he refuses to step down voluntarily.

The announcement was made on Wednesday (July 22) by the party's Assistant Secretary General, Hamidur Rahman Azad.
Speaking to the media, Azad said Gazi Nazrul is no longer a member of Jamaat and therefore can no longer be regarded as one of the party's MPs. He added that the party would pursue all legal avenues available in the matter.

According to party sources, Jamaat formed an investigation committee after a private video involving Gazi Nazrul circulated on social media. Following the inquiry, the party's Central Executive Council, chaired by Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman, concluded that allegations of "moral misconduct" had been substantiated and decided to expel him under Article 62 of the party constitution.
Several members of the Executive Council said Gazi Nazrul had been instructed to resign from Parliament but had not yet informed the party of his decision.

One Jamaat MP said that if Gazi Nazrul chooses not to resign and instead pursues legal action, he may be able to retain his parliamentary seat for the time being. However, the MP added that he would no longer be permitted to sit with the Jamaat parliamentary party.

The controversy began after a private video involving Gazi Nazrul was widely shared on social media on Monday night. He later claimed that the 18-year-old woman seen in the video is his legally married second wife. The same claim has also been made by the woman, her father and Gazi Nazrul's first wife.

Questions have, however, been raised over the marriage registration. The marriage registrar involved has claimed that the marriage was registered on July 19, rather than June 17 as previously suggested. Under Bangladeshi law, however, a marriage may be registered within the prescribed period after it has taken place.

Meanwhile, legal experts have noted that expulsion from a political party does not automatically result in the loss of a parliamentary seat. Under the Constitution, any decision on whether an MP's seat becomes vacant must follow the relevant constitutional provisions and the legal process involving the Election Commission.