Mamunul Haque opens up about Royal Resort's 'Room 501'

Mamunul Haque, the ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, has explained his position on the much-discussed April 3, 2021 incident at the Royal Resort in Sonargaon of Narayanganj.

On Saturday (June 20), he posted a long status on his verified Facebook page. In the post, he claimed that 'Room 501' was a failed project of fascist Hasina and that an attempt was made to destroy her politically through that incident.

Mamunul Haque said that on April 3, 2021, he was staying in Room 501 of the Royal Resort in Narayanganj with his wife Jannat Ara (Jharna). He claimed that at that time, local Awami League workers, journalists and others, led by the police, arrived there and harassed him and his wife.

In the Facebook post, he wrote that the resort's reception informed him that the entire resort had been surrounded by the police. After opening the door of the room, many people forcibly entered the room and started live broadcasting through various devices.

Maulana Mamunul Haque claimed that he and his wife were harassed in various ways. To protect his wife from the situation, he kept her in the washroom. Later, a female police member came and entered the washroom and also broadcasted live from there.

He said that during the interrogation, both he and Jannat Ara clearly stated about their marital relationship and it was also broadcasted through various media. He claimed that first the police took his mobile phone. Later, an additional superintendent of police returned the phone for verification and was reassured after talking to acquaintances. However, he mentioned that later DGFI officials came and ordered them to be taken to the police station.

The ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis claimed that thousands of people had gathered outside the resort at that time. He calmed them down and played a role in ensuring the safety of the police members. At the same time, he alleged that the live facility of his Facebook ID was technically disabled.

Regarding his marriage to Jannat Ara, he mentioned in the post that Jannat Ara was previously the wife of his close colleague Hafez Shahidul Islam. They have two children. Later, they divorced by mutual consent.

The Khelafat Majlis leader claimed that Jannat Ara contacted him after the divorce and at one point he proposed marriage to her. However, he had already informed him that he could not fully implement the obligation of maintaining equality between multiple wives according to Islam. Then, if Jannat Ara agreed, he claimed that their marriage was consummated according to Sharia. He said that after the marriage, he admitted Jannat Ara to a Quran education center and later she got involved in sewing and various training activities for women, Maulana Mamunul Haque also mentioned.

As for the reason for keeping the marriage secret, Maulana Mamunul Haque said that multiple marriages are a socially complex issue in the subcontinent. Therefore, he did not want to create instability in the first family. At the same time, he mentioned that the issue of permission from the first wife in the state law also created complications. He claimed that a kabin is not mandatory in Islam and that he did not have a kabin in his first marriage either. However, he claimed that his close friends knew about his multiple marriages.

In the post, Maulana Mamunul Haque said that his identity card had the name of his first wife Amina Tayyaba. On the other hand, Jannat Ara's identity card had the name of her ex-husband Shahidul Islam. Therefore, he claimed that they used the name of the first wife based on discussion. He also explained about introducing Jannat Ara as Shahidul Islam's wife on the phone to his first wife. According to him, the first wife already knew Jannat Ara as Shahidul Islam's wife. Therefore, she used that identity to present the matter calmly.

The Ameer of the Khelafat Majlis questioned whether he or Jannat Ara had broken any law? He alleged that the police entered their room and later the private call records were leaked by the state. He also questioned the legality of these activities. He claimed that he had not violated any state law or Sharia law. Still, a raid was conducted against him.

In the post, Mamunul Haque claimed that after the resort incident, the then NSI Director General met with him and offered him to take a stand against Junaid Babunagari. However, he claimed that he rejected the offer. He further alleged that various types of pressure were exerted on Jannat Ara, her father, ex-husband and family members. He also claimed that Jannat Ara was kept in custody for a long time.

Regarding 'mutah marriage', Mamunul Haque said in the post that the allegations of 'contractual marriage', 'temporary marriage' or 'mutah marriage' that were circulated against him were completely false. He claimed that his marriage with Jannat Ara was a Sharia-compliant Islamic marriage.

Regarding Jannat Ara's current status, Mamunul Haque said that they were in a marital relationship from 2019 to 2025. However, after the incident in 2021, they separated in March 2025 through negotiations due to various differences. He claimed that he had ensured Jannat Ara's rights including maintenance until the separation and even during his imprisonment.

In a long Facebook post, Mamunul Haque alleged character assassination and claimed that attempts were made to assassinate him due to political and ideological differences. He also claimed that he had to be harassed in court. According to him, at various times he was accused of making statements against Islam or against Allama Babunagri.

Although attempts were made to persuade him, he did not agree.

In a large part of the post, Mamunul Haque brought up the historical context of slandering Hazrat Ayesha (RA). He said that the truth cannot be hidden by talking about slanderers. However, he clarified that he was not comparing Hazrat Ayesha (RA) with himself, but rather taking inspiration from the incident.

Maulana Mamunul Haque claimed that the campaign against him was part of a larger political project of the then government. He also cited the example of the character assassination campaign conducted against Khaleda Zia in the past. At the same time, he also commented that some Islamists have taken a stand against him due to political differences.

At one point in the post, he called for 'Mubahala' by quoting verse 61 of Surah Al Imran of the Holy Quran. He said that anyone who wants to prove his statement false can participate in such a challenge with him.

At the end of the post, Mamunul Haque said that '501' is not a negative thing for him. Rather, it is, in his words, 'a document of the defeat of fascist Hasina and her cronies'. They are accepting '501' as a symbol of victory and will celebrate it in the future. He also mentioned that the message of '501' will be conveyed wherever this topic is raised.