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Published : 24 Jun 2026, 04:12 PM
A Dhaka court has granted police two days to question actor Niamot Ullah Bhuiyan, popularly known as Zaher Alvi, in their custody over the death of his wife Afra Ibnat Ikra.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Albiruni Mir made the decision on Wednesday based on a petition from the investigating officer in the case, confirmed prosecution police Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam.
The application for Alvi's interrogation was filed on Jun 21 by Detective Branch (DB) Inspector Abdul Malek of the Mirpur Zonal Team, the investigating officer in the case.
Alvi surrendered before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Kamal Uddin on Jun 18 and applied for bail, which the court rejected before sending him to jail.
Prosecutor Harun-or-Rashid told the court that the couple married in 2013 and that Ikra had allegedly been subjected to abuse throughout the marriage.
He alleged that on Feb 27, Alvi made social media posts involving another woman, which provoked Ikra.
According to the prosecution, Ikra had learned about Alvi’s alleged extramarital relationship two years earlier.
The lawyer claimed Alvi verbally abused her and posted photographs with another woman on social media despite being married.
Unable to tolerate the posts, Ikra took her own life, the prosecution alleged.
Referring to a television actress known only as Tithi, the prosecutor also claimed that a photograph showing her hands with “Alvi” written in henna had contributed to Ikra’s distress.
Alvi’s lawyer Sheikh Robayat Islam opposed the remand and sought bail, arguing that the actor was abroad at the time of the incident.
He added that Alvi, as an actor, could post photographs with many women on social media and that Ikra had entered the marriage fully aware of his profession.
With the court’s permission, Alvi also addressed the magistrate.
“We married for love. Like any couple, we had playful disagreements, misunderstandings and affection. There were arguments too, but our relationship was smooth. Nothing happened that would lead to suicide,” he said.
Alvi also alleged that misinformation had been spread on social media following Ikra’s death.
He claimed the image showing “Alvi” written in henna on Tithi’s hand was AI-generated and that the original photograph contained no such writing.
“The fake image is still circulating on social media,” he told the court.
Ikra was found hanging from a ceiling fan by her “Orna”, or scarf, at the family's DOHS home in Pallabi around 11:45am on Feb 28.
Family members rushed her to Kurmitola General Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Police later arrived at the hospital to record the inquest report and collected evidence from the flat.
Her father Kabir Hayat Khan filed a case that same night, alleging Ikra had been driven to take her own life by prolonged family conflict and different forms of abuse.
