‘501’ was meant to destroy me politically

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque has provided a detailed account of the controversial Narayanganj resort incident of April 2021, claiming the episode was part of a broader political effort to discredit and eliminate him from public life.

In a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday, Mamunul described Room 501 of Narayanganj’s Royal Resort as a “failed project” of what he termed the “fascist Hasina regime”, alleging that the incident was orchestrated to destroy him politically.

According to Mamunul, on 3 April 2021 he was staying in Room 501 of the resort with his wife, Jannat Ara (Jharna), when local Awami League activists, journalists and others, allegedly led by police, arrived at the venue.

He claimed that resort authorities informed him that the entire facility had been surrounded by police.
He alleged that after the room door was opened, numerous individuals forcibly entered the room and began live broadcasting through various electronic devices.

He further claimed that both he and his wife were subjected to harassment. To shield his wife from the situation, Mamunul said he kept her inside the washroom. He alleged that a female police officer later entered the washroom and continued live broadcasting from there.

The Khelafat Majlish chief stated that during questioning both he and Jannat Ara clearly identified themselves as husband and wife, adding that this information was subsequently circulated through various media platforms.

He claimed police initially seized his mobile phone before an additional superintendent of police returned it for verification purposes and later became satisfied after speaking with acquaintances. However, he alleged that officials from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) subsequently instructed that they be taken to a police station.

Mamunul further claimed that thousands of people had gathered outside the resort at the time. According to his account, he helped calm the crowd and played a role in ensuring the safety of police personnel. He also alleged that the live-streaming function of his Facebook account had been technologically disabled.

Addressing questions surrounding his relationship with Jannat Ara, Mamunul wrote that she had previously been married to his close associate Hafez Shahidul Islam and that the couple had two children. He claimed that after their divorce by mutual consent, Jannat Ara contacted him and he eventually proposed marriage to her.

According to Mamunul, before the marriage he informed her that he might not be able to fully meet the Islamic requirement of maintaining complete equality among multiple wives. He claimed that after Jannat Ara agreed, they were married in accordance with Shariah.

He said that after their marriage he enrolled Jannat Ara in a Quran learning centre and that she later became involved in sewing and various training activities for women.

Explaining why the marriage was not publicly disclosed, Mamunul argued that multiple marriages remain socially sensitive in the subcontinent. He said he wished to avoid instability within his first family and also referred to complications arising from state laws concerning permission from the first wife.

He further claimed that a formal marriage contract was not mandatory in Islam and that his first marriage had also taken place without one. However, he maintained that people close to him were aware of his multiple marriages.

In the post, Mamunul said his identification documents contained the name of his first wife, Amina Tayyeba, while Jannat Ara’s documents carried the name of her former husband, Shahidul Islam. He claimed this was why they had used the first wife’s name during discussions at the time.

He also explained why he had identified Jannat Ara as the wife of Shahidul Islam during a phone conversation with his first wife. According to Mamunul, his first wife already knew Jannat Ara by that identity and he used the description in an effort to present the matter calmly.

Questioning the legality of the actions taken against them, Mamunul asked whether he or Jannat Ara had violated any law. He alleged that police entered their room unlawfully and that private telephone conversations were later leaked by state authorities.

He maintained that neither state law nor Islamic law had been violated by him, yet an operation was conducted against him.

Mamunul also alleged that following the resort incident, the then Director General of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) met him and proposed that he take a position against Allama Junaid Babunagari. He claimed that he rejected the proposal.

He further alleged that pressure had been exerted on Jannat Ara, her father, her former husband and other family members. According to him, Jannat Ara was also kept in custody for an extended period.

Referring to court proceedings, Mamunul claimed that Jannat Ara’s son, Abdur Rahman, had been encouraged to provide misleading statements. However, he alleged that the witness later presented the actual facts before the court, frustrating the plans of those involved.

Rejecting allegations that he had entered into a temporary or contractual marriage, often referred to as “Muta marriage”, Mamunul described such claims as entirely false. He insisted that his marriage with Jannat Ara was a valid Islamic marriage conducted in accordance with Shariah.

Regarding Jannat Ara’s current status, he said their marital relationship lasted from 2019 until 2025. However, he claimed that following the 2021 incident various disagreements emerged and the couple eventually separated through mutual understanding in March 2025.

Mamunul stated that until the divorce, including during his period of imprisonment, he ensured Jannat Ara received maintenance and all rights due to her.

Throughout the Facebook post, he repeatedly alleged that a campaign of character assassination had been carried out against him because of political and ideological differences. He also claimed that he faced harassment through legal proceedings.

According to Mamunul, attempts were made at different times to persuade him to make statements against Islam or against Allama Babunagari, but he refused to do so.

In a significant portion of the post, he referred to the historical incident involving allegations against Hazrat Ayesha (RA), arguing that truth cannot be concealed through slander. He clarified, however, that he was not comparing himself with Hazrat Ayesha (RA) but was drawing inspiration from the historical episode.

Mamunul further alleged that the campaign against him formed part of a broader political project of the then government. He cited past character-assassination campaigns against Khaleda Zia and claimed that some Islamist figures had also opposed him because of political differences.

At one stage of the post, quoting verse 61 of Surah Al-Imran from the Holy Quran, he issued a call for “Mubahala”, saying that anyone seeking to prove his statements false could participate in such a challenge.

Concluding the post, Mamunul said the number “501” does not represent anything negative to him. Rather, he described it as evidence of the defeat of “fascist Hasina and her associates”. He said that “501” would be embraced as a symbol of victory and celebrated in the future, adding that wherever the issue is raised, its message would continue to be conveyed.
He ended the post by praying to Allah for guidance for all.