Jamaat urges action against MP Gazi Nazrul over viral video

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has formally asked the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), A.M.M. Nasir Uddin, to take necessary action following the expulsion of Gazi Nazrul Islam, the Member of Parliament for Satkhira-4, after an internal investigation into allegations surrounding a video that recently circulated widely on social media.

The party sent a letter to the CEC on Thursday afternoon, 23 July, informing the Election Commission of its decision to expel the MP. A copy of the letter was also sent to the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.

The letter was sent by Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar. In it, the party said it had conducted an organisational investigation into reports published by various media outlets concerning Gazi Nazrul Islam. According to the party, the investigation found evidence of what it described as moral misconduct.

On the basis of those findings, Jamaat said it had decided to expel him from the organisation in accordance with Article 62 of its constitution.

The decision, the letter said, was unanimously approved at an emergency meeting of Jamaat’s Central Executive Council held on Wednesday, 22 July, under the chairmanship of the party’s Ameer, Dr Shafiqur Rahman.

Jamaat subsequently informed the Election Commission of the expulsion and requested that the commission take whatever steps it considers necessary in light of the development. The party also formally notified the Speaker by sending a copy of the letter to Parliament.

The issue came into the public spotlight after a video purportedly showing Gazi Nazrul Islam in a private moment began circulating widely on social media. The footage prompted considerable discussion and debate online, with the matter subsequently becoming the subject of media reports.

Following the controversy, Jamaat initiated an internal inquiry into the allegations. The party later announced that its investigation had established what it termed moral misconduct and, on 22 July, decided to terminate Gazi Nazrul Islam’s membership of the organisation.

The latest letter to the CEC marks the party’s formal communication of that decision to the country’s electoral authorities. The request also brings the matter into the institutional sphere, given Gazi Nazrul Islam’s position as an elected lawmaker.

The letter itself does not indicate what specific action the Election Commission may take in response to the party’s request. Any further steps concerning his parliamentary position would depend on the relevant constitutional, electoral and parliamentary provisions and the decisions of the competent authorities.

The development has therefore drawn attention not only to the disciplinary action taken by Jamaat but also to the wider question of the implications of a political party expelling one of its elected representatives. The Election Commission and the parliamentary authorities are now among the institutions formally notified of the party’s decision.