Jamat Worker Bathes in Milk to Mark Party Resignation

A local activist of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in Satkhira has severed ties with his political party in dramatic fashion, bathing publicly in milk to symbolize his departure. Delwar Hossain, 37, took the step in protest against controversial personal conduct involving Gazi Nazrul Islam, the Member of Parliament for the Satkhira-4 constituency.

The public display occurred on Thursday evening at Debashir More in Harinagari village, situated under Nurnagar Union in Shyamnagar Upazila. Hossain, a resident of Harinagari, previously held dual responsibilities within his local party structure, serving as the Baitul Mal (treasurer) secretary and youth wing secretary for the Jamaat unit in Ward No. 8.

Speaking by telephone on Thursday night, Hossain expressed deep disillusionment over recent developments surrounding the lawmaker. He explained that he had dedicated himself to the organization out of genuine conviction, but felt compelled to leave after explicit videos involving the MP surfaced online, sparking widespread public condemnation. Hossain noted that an internal party probe confirmed the nature of the misconduct, prompting his decision to cut ties completely. By symbolically cleansing himself with milk, Hossain publicly renounced his membership and declared that he would never join any other political organization in the future.

The president of the Jamaat unit in Ward No. 8, Abdur Razzaq, confirmed Hossain’s long-standing involvement as a party activist, acknowledging that he had heard reports of Hossain’s symbolic resignation earlier in the evening.

The scandal erupted on Monday night when several private video clips featuring Gazi Nazrul Islam alongside a young woman circulated widely across social media platforms. In response to the growing public backlash, the lawmaker posted a statement on his official Facebook page the following day, asserting that the woman in the video was his second wife, Mariam Begum. He maintained that the marriage had taken place on 17 June with the formal consent of his first wife and family members.

Following the leak, Jamaat leadership initiated a formal inquiry led by Izzat Ullah, a member of the party’s central executive council and director for the Khulna region. The investigative committee submitted its findings to the central leadership, leading the central executive council to formally expel Gazi Nazrul Islam from the party on Wednesday.

The controversy has sparked significant unrest across Shyamnagar Upazila, with local residents demanding the removal of the MP from his parliamentary seat. Demonstrations, rallies, and human chain protests were held across multiple locations on Thursday morning. Between 11:00 am and noon, religious scholars and local citizens gathered outside the Shyamnagar Upazila Election Commission office, while separate protest marches organized by local civic groups took place in the Ishwaripur, Kashimari, and Nurnagar unions.