BNP Protesters Burn Jamaat MP’s Effigy in Mongla

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated organisations staged a protest in Mongla, Bagerhat, over a video involving Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam and a woman that has circulated on social media.

The protesters expressed strong disapproval of the alleged incident and, following a rally, spat on an effigy of the lawmaker before setting it on fire as a symbolic act of condemnation.

The protest meeting was held at around noon on Wednesday in front of the Mongla municipal office under the banner of the ‘Conscious Citizens’ platform. Men and women from the local BNP and its affiliated and associate organisations took part in the programme.

Among those who addressed the gathering were Abu Hossain Poni, general secretary of the Mongla upazila BNP; Golam Nur Jony, organising secretary of the Mongla municipal BNP; and Abul Kashem, convener of the municipal Jubo Dal, along with other local political leaders.

In their speeches, the protesters criticised Gazi Nazrul Islam and demanded accountability over what they described as inappropriate conduct. They also launched broader political attacks against Jamaat-e-Islami, referring to allegations of atrocities against women during the 1971 Liberation War.

The speakers alleged that Jamaat had failed to move away from what they described as an intolerant mindset towards women. They accused the party of using religion in ways that, in their view, have contributed to the mistreatment of women, including allegations of sexual violence. The protesters strongly condemned what they alleged was the conduct of the MP and called for public scrutiny of the matter.

The demonstration reflects the highly charged political atmosphere surrounding allegations involving public figures, particularly when such claims circulate through social media. Videos that spread online can quickly trigger political reactions, although their authenticity, context and the identities of those appearing in them need to be independently verified before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

After the meeting, a group of angry protesters carried an effigy of the Jamaat lawmaker and staged further demonstrations. They spat on the effigy before setting it alight, describing the act as an expression of their anger and condemnation.

Abu Hossain Poni, general secretary of the Mongla upazila BNP, said the incident associated with Gazi Nazrul Islam had been seen by people across the country and that the party strongly condemned it.

He said the alleged behaviour had offended their sense of dignity as Muslims and that they were firmly opposed to such conduct.

The protest ended after the symbolic burning of the effigy. No independent confirmation of the allegations contained in or surrounding the circulated video was provided in the report, and no response from Gazi Nazrul Islam was included. The incident has nevertheless fuelled political criticism and renewed debate over the conduct and public accountability of elected representatives.