Protests Erupt in Satkhira Demanding Removal of Ousted Lawmaker Over Leaked Video
Protesters in the Satkhira-4 constituency held a series of demonstrations on Thursday demanding the removal of lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam following the leak of sexually explicit videos on social media. The protests, which took place across the Shyamnagar sub-district, followed a formal decision by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party to expel Islam from its ranks earlier this week.
Crowds gathered outside the Shyamnagar Election Commission office under the banner of local religious leaders and community members to voice their indignation. Speakers at the rally argued that the lawmaker’s conduct had caused irreparable damage to the reputation of the religious community, declaring him unfit to hold public office. The demonstrators demanded an immediate resignation, warning of escalated protests if he refuses to step down.
Concurrent demonstrations were organized by local advocacy groups in the Ishwaripur, Kashimari, and Nurnagar unions. At rallies in marketplaces across these areas, speakers ranging from local business leaders to legal professionals echoed the sentiment that Islam had forfeited his mandate to represent the region. Organizers stated that the protest movement would continue until the lawmaker’s seat is vacated.
The controversy erupted on Monday when multiple videos featuring Islam in intimate moments with a young woman surfaced online. While some supporters initially dismissed the footage as a fabrication created through artificial intelligence, Islam later addressed the matter on his official Facebook page. He identified the woman in the videos as his second wife, Mariyam Begum, and claimed they were married on June 17 with the consent of his first wife.
In response to the viral content, Jamaat-e-Islami launched an internal investigation led by central executive committee member Izzat Ullah. The committee conducted interviews with the lawmaker and his family members before submitting a formal report to the party’s leadership. Following a review of the findings, the central executive committee officially expelled Islam from the party on Wednesday.
