Actor Jaher Alvi Denied Bail Over Wife’s Suicide Incitement

A Dhaka court has rejected the bail petition of popular television actor Mohammad Niamat Ullah Bhuiyan, widely known by his screen name Jaher Alvi. The actor faces serious allegations of inciting his wife, Afra Evnath Ikra, to commit suicide. On Monday, 6 July, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Shahgahan Kabir passed the order following an extensive hearing. Public Prosecutor Harun Ur Rashid confirmed the development, stating that the state strongly opposed the actor’s release due to the gravity of the case.

Advocate Sheikh Robayet Islam appeared in court representing Alvi to argue for his bail, whilst the state prosecution presented counter-arguments highlighting the ongoing nature of the investigation. The denial of bail marks the latest legal setback for the television star. Previously, on 30 June, Alvi was sent back to prison following a two-day police interrogation session in custody.

The legal proceedings began when Alvi surrendered to the court on 18 June. The magistrate initially denied him bail and ordered his immediate detention. Days later, on 21 June, the investigating officer filed a petition seeking a ten-day remand to quiz the suspect. The court subsequently authorised a two-day remand on 24 June to unearth the details surrounding the tragic death.

According to the case files, the incident occurred on 28 February at the couple’s residence in the Mirpur DOHS neighbourhood of the capital. Family members discovered Ikra hanging from a ceiling fan with a scarf inside their apartment. With the assistance of the landlord, relatives rushed her to Kurmitola General Hospital, where the attending doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.

That very evening, Ikra’s father, Kabir Hayat Khan, filed a formal complaint at the Pallabi Police Station, initiating a criminal case against the actor. The prosecution case states that relentless domestic discord and sustained physical and psychological abuse drove Ikra to take her own life.

Alvi and Ikra married in 2010 and share a young son. The police also named Alvi’s mother, Nasrin Sultana Shiuly, as a co-accused in the initial complaint. However, she surrendered before the court on 4 June and successfully secured bail. Alvi remains in judicial custody as investigators gather further evidence regarding the domestic environment leading up to the tragedy.