A special court here today sent Khandaker Azizul Haque Arzu, former lawmaker of Pabna-2 constituency, to jail in a rape case.

Judge Begum Shamsunnahar of Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-5 passed the order as the former lawmaker surrendered before the court and pleaded for bail.

The court on January 16, 2023, issued arrest warrant against the accused after taking the probe report filed by investigation agency Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) into cognizance.

According to the case documents, the victim was introduced to the former Awami League lawmaker by one of her uncle’s in 2001 and they married in 2003. During their marriage, Arzu had identified himself as Faruk Hossain and said that his first wife has died and he wants to marry her with the consent of his children from first wife.

In 2008, the victim gave birth to a baby girl. After the baby’s birth, the accused started ignoring them and even embezzled Taka 18 lakh and 15 tolas of gold that he took from her in the name of buying a flat. Later the victim came to know that Arzu’s first wife is very much alive and he was living with his first family. He even disowned the victim and her daughter completely.

The accused attempted to murder her on different occasions, the victim said.

She finally filed the rape case on April 22, 2022, and the tribunal had ordered PBI to probe the allegations. After probing the case, the investigation agency on January 5, 2023, filed its report against the former lawmaker.