The expulsion of Jamaat-e-Islami MP Gazi Nazrul Islam from the party has triggered a constitutional debate over whether he can retain his seat in Bangladesh's parliament, exposing a legal grey area that has surfaced only rarely in the country's political history.
Nazrul, 74, represents the Satkhira-4 constituency of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) and was elected to parliament for the third time in this year's general election.
He first entered parliament in 1991 and had served as the ameer of Jamaat's Satkhira district unit as well as a member of the party's central Majlis-e-Shura.
The controversy erupted after a video showing the veteran politician in what was described as a private moment with a young woman spread across social media, sparking public outrage and protests in his constituency.
Amid mounting criticism, Jamaat-e-Islami's central executive council convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday and decided to expel Nazrul from the party, citing what it described as "moral misconduct".
The move has raised immediate questions over the fate of his parliamentary membership.
Under Bangladesh's electoral framework, candidates contest parliamentary elections either as nominees of registered political parties or as independents.
Those elected on party tickets serve as members of parliament representing their respective parties.
The Constitution and the Representation of the People Order (RPO) set out the qualifications and disqualifications for parliamentary candidates.
If a lawmaker subsequently becomes disqualified under those provisions, they may lose their seat.
Article 66 of the Constitution lists the grounds on which a person becomes ineligible to be elected to, or remain a member of, parliament.
One of those grounds is conviction for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude.
However, the provision applies only if the individual has been sentenced to at least two years' imprisonment and five years have not elapsed since completing that sentence.
Nazrul has not been convicted of any criminal offence or sentenced to imprisonment.
As a result, legal observers say Jamaat's allegation of "moral misconduct" does not, by itself, constitute a constitutional ground for disqualification.
The constitutional uncertainty instead centres on Article 70, Bangladesh's anti-defection provision.
It states that a member elected as the nominee of a political party will lose their seat if they resign from that party or vote against it in parliament.
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