Happy alleges multiple marriages and torture against her husband

Former model and actress Nazneen Akhter Happy is in the news again. Once she made headlines by accusing a national team cricketer of rape, this time she has made serious allegations against her husband Mufti Talha Islam. Happy claims that her husband has married 9 times so far and most of these marriages were secret, short-lived and illegal. She has filed a case under the Women and Children Abuse Prevention Act at a police station in the capital.

Happy's lawyer Advocate Jannatul Ferdous said at a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday evening that Happy left the showbiz world and came to the path of religion a long time ago. Then on July 19, 2018, she got married to Mufti Talha Islam for a dowry of five lakh taka. Talha Islam was the son of the late Mufti Shahidul Islam, a former MP from Narail. At the time of the wedding, Happy's mother gave a gift of five lakh taka to buy necessary furniture for the family. A son was born to them on February 14, 2021.

However, after the birth of the child, her husband's behavior towards Happy changed. Talha stopped providing maintenance and started beating her on various pretexts. Happy alleged that Talha had relationships with different women and married them for short periods of time. Happy said, "Talha has married 9 times so far. After short-term relationships with many of them, he ended the relationship with verbal divorce."

At the press conference, Happy also released a list of Talha Islam's nine marriages. According to the list she gave, the women Talha Islam has married so far are: 1. Nazneen Akhter Happy (current wife), 2. Maryam (single, Kashmir), 3. Tamanna-1 (single, Hazaribagh), 4. Hafsa (divorced, with three children, Khulna), 5. Taslima (widow, Manikganj), 6. Tamanna-2 (divorced, Uttara), 7. Noor (widow, with two children, Chittagong), 8. Khadija (divorced, Keraniganj), 9. Mushfika (divorced, with a son).

Happy alleged that Talha used to torture her inhumanly when she asked for divorce many times. He would demand one crore taka as a condition for divorce or would give her a tough condition like giving up her child for life. Happy said, “I would be beaten up whenever I asked for divorce. I would be physically and mentally broken.”

Happy further alleged that after the case, Talha brought people to the house and took away business goods worth about 50-60 lakh taka and is threatening to withdraw the case. She said, “I kept quiet for fear of being beaten up, now that my back is against the wall, I am forced to reveal everything.”

On the same day, in a post on his verified Facebook account, Happy wrote, “There are three marriage papers including mine. The rest are not evidenced, they are used like tissues and the relationship is ended with verbal divorce.” He also wrote, “One of the women you divorced in Khulna was pregnant. You have only seen that child a few times in four years, but why do you show so much interest in my child? Am I a goose that laid golden eggs?”

The case statement states that on May 4 this year, Happy came to know that Talha had secretly remarried. Talha beat her up when she asked about the marriage. Then, on May 10, her husband went to Happy’s house and demanded a dowry of Tk 2 million and when she refused to pay, he beat her up severely and threatened to divorce her.

When an attempt was made to get Talha Islam’s statement, his phone was found switched off. A source said that he is currently staying in Dubai.