'Verifying facts, action will follow if warranted,' says Jamaat on Satkhira MP's viral video of alleged affair
The party says it will verify all available evidence and statements before deciding on any disciplinary action.
Highlights:
- MP says woman in video is second wife
- Party monitoring developments closely
- Fact-checkers say footage is authentic
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has said it is collecting information and verifying facts regarding the controversy surrounding Satkhira-4 (Shyamnagar) lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam after CCTV footage showing him in an intimate moment with a woman went viral on social media.
In a statement today (21 July), the party's Central Publicity and Media Department Secretary Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said any organisational action would be taken in accordance with its rules after establishing the facts.
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Zubair further said statements from the lawmaker, his first and second wives, and the father of his second wife have already been made public.
"The party is conducting further inquiries into the matter. After collecting the relevant facts and evidence, Jamaat will make the necessary decision in line with its organisational rules," he added.
The controversy began yesterday when CCTV footage showing the MP in an intimate moment with a woman spread across social media.
Initially, the Satkhira district unit of Jamaat claimed the footage had been fabricated using artificial intelligence (AI) or deepfake technology as part of a conspiracy.
However, several fact-checking organisations later concluded that the footage was authentic and had not been generated using AI.
Following those findings, the controversy took a new turn.
Earlier today, Gazi Nazrul Islam issued a statement on social media claiming the woman seen in the video is his second wife, Mst Mariam Begum.
He said they were married on 17 June this year with the consent of his first wife.
The MP further alleged that while he and his family were staying in Dhaka's Moghbazar area, his driver and a relative of his second wife brought outsiders to hold them hostage and demand money.
According to his statement, after failing to extort money and because of previous enmity, the group illegally obtained the CCTV footage and circulated it online.
Videos featuring statements from the MP's first wife, his claimed second wife and his father-in-law were later shared on social media, in which they described the matter as a family issue and alleged it was part of a conspiracy.
