Dr Jahanara Ehsan, wife of former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Murad Hasan, registered a General Diary (GD) against her husband on Thursday accusing him of torturing and issuing her a death threat. She filed the GD with Dhanmondi Police Station in the evening, said Ikram Ali Mia, officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station. He said Dr Jahanara called 999, the National Emergency Service, in the afternoon seeking cooperation from the police to save her from her husband’s torture. Later, the OC said a team of Dhanmondi police visited Murad’s Dhanmondi residence around 3pm and talked to her. He said Jahanara alleged that she has been subjected to physical and mental torture by her husband and even he threatened to kill her. As the police team advised him to register a formal complaint with the police station, she later filed the GD, the OC said. “We’re now investigating the complaint and will take necessary steps in this regard,” he said. Read: More trouble brewing for Murad, another case filed On December 7 last, Murad Hassan resigned from the cabinet following the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for his offensive and indecent remarks on women. The 47-year-old doctor-turned-politician drew huge criticism by netizens for his offensive remarks about BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s daughter Zaima Rahman. During an interview on social media, he described Tarique Rahman as a ‘whoreson’ and alleged that Zaima Rahman cannot sleep without the company of a black man every night. Amid the uproar for his indecent comment against Zaima, a two-year-old phone conversation of Murad with actor Mamnun Hasan Emon and actress Mahiya Mahi recently went viral on social media. In that audio clip, Murad made "derogatory comments" on the actress, threatened her and gave her an alleged indecent proposal. Murad also made indecent comments against Dhaka University’s female student leaders. After the resignation from the cabinet, Murad had left the country in his desperate bid to hide amid widespread criticism at home, but his attempt to stay abroad went in vain as he had to get back home having failed to enter Canada and the UAE. Read: How life has changed for Murad in just one week Murad was also relieved from the post of Health and Population Affairs Secretary of Jamalpur district unit Awami League for damaging the party’s image and for his involvement in anti-disciplinary activities. Murad, son of noted Jamalpur Awami League leader Matiar Rahman Talukder, was elected MP for the first time with the Awami League's ticket from Jamalpur-4 seat in the ninth parliamentary election in 2008. As he was elected MP again in 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inducted him into the cabinet first as State Minister for Health and Family Welfare in 2019. Later, he was made the state minister for Information and Broadcasting.  

More trouble is brewing for former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murad Hassan. After a lawyer in Cumilla sued Murad under the Digital Security Act, another advocate in Chandpur has filed a case in a local court against the former Minister for allegedly making deregoratory remarks against the family of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman during an interview on social media. YouTuber Mohammad Mohiuddin Helal Nahid, who also published the interview on his Facebook page, has also been sued by Sharif Mahmud Ferdous Shahin, president of Chandpur Nationalist Lawyers Forum. The case was filed under sections 509, 153(A) and 505(A) of the Bangladesh Penal Code in the court of additional chief judicial magistrate Mohammad Hasan on Monday afternoon. Also read: Court rejects plea to file case against Murad in Gaibandha In his petition, the Chandpur lawyer claimed that on December 1, Murad used highly derogatory language about the Zia family and Barrister Zaima Rahman during an interview with Helal Nahid which was later posted on his verified Facebook page. On December 7, Murad quit the Cabinet following the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after he came under criticism from various quarters for multiple leaked recordings containing indecent remarks by him. On December 8, a writ petition was filed in the High Court challenging the legality of Murad's position in Parliament on the same ground. On December 12, advocate Omar Faruk, secretary of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, filed a case against Murad under DSA with the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal for his misogynist and derogatory remarks. Also read: DSA case against Murad for derogatory comments on Zia family On December 19, advocate Atiqul Islam, former president of Cumilla municipal BNP and former general secretary of Cumilla Bar Association, lodged a case under DSA in the Judicial Magistrate Hakim Majharul Islam's Cognizance Court-1 against Murad. Murad has already been stripped of the post of health and population affairs secretary of Jamalpur district unit of the Awami League.

Barely a week back, Murad Hassan was a powerful State Minister for Information and Broadcasting. But today he finds nowhere to hide his face. Murad has lost his cabinet portfolio, party post and political clouts by the time for his offensive remarks against women that came from his vanity as political analysts believe. Though he has lost the cabinet portfolio and party post, Murad is still an MP. Murad had left the country in his desperate bid to hide amid widespread criticism at home, but his attempt to stay abroad went in vain as he had to get back home on Sunday having failed to enter Canada and the UAE. An official at Hazrat Shahajalal International Airport immigration police, wishing anonymity, told UNB that Murad returned home by an Emirates flight (EK 586) around 5pm and got out of the airport around 6 pm through the domestic terminal hiding his face with his jacket hoodie and mask to avoid the media. As he had no valid visa to enter Dubai, he got back home, the airport official said, adding, “Murad was supposed to get back home in an Emirates flight at 8:20am today but he could not as he had to undergo Covid test in Dubai, delaying his departure schedule.” Since he was deported, the Emirates authorities handed him over to the immigration at the airport in Dhaka as part of a procedure, he added. The airport official said the airlines' authorities usually hand over ‘refused’ passengers to immigration along with their passports. “He (Murad) was handed over to us.” According to him, Murad's mobile phone is found on since he arrived at the airport, but he is not receiving calls. Murad Hassan had left the country for Canada in an Emirates flight around 1:20am on Thursday night. According to Toronto-based Bangla news portal thebengalitimes.com, Murad reached Toronto Pearson International Airport at 1.31am (Canadian time) on Friday. Canadian immigration officials questioned the former Bangladesh’s junior minister about various allegations, including harassing, humiliating and torturing women, against him in Bangladesh. They also showed him various videos, photos and news released and published on him, and wanted to know his version, the news portal said.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Murad Hasan has stressed the need for standing together against all sorts of disinformation campaigns conducted from abroad against Bangladesh and the government. The State Minister was addressing the officers of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C. at an exchange of views programme on the importance of Public Diplomacy while referring to the recent violence during Durga Puja. He stressed the need to strengthen public diplomacy for building a positive image of Bangladesh abroad. The meeting, held recently, was presided by the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the USA, M. Shahidul Islam. Also Read: Will revert to 1972 constitution; bill to be placed soon: Murad The State Minister advised the officers of the Embassy to give special attention to develop good relations with the United States, which is a very important country for Bangladesh. He highlighted the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in advancing the economic progress of the country and saving people’s lives from the COVID-19 pandemic.