Bangladeshi national cricketer Nasir Hossain has gone on trial charged with adultery after a man claimed the batsman illegally married his wife, lawyers said Thursday.
Bangladeshi men, but not women, can be tried for adultery in socially conservative Bangladesh although cases are extremely rare, with people usually keen to avoid a public scandal.
Nasir, 30, who has represented Bangladesh more than 100 times -- although not since 2018 -- tied the knot with flight attendant Tamima Sultana on Valentine's Day 2021.
But her first husband Rakib Hasan has filed charges of adultery against Nasir, claiming that he was -- and still is -- married to Tamima.
If found guilty, Nasir could face a maximum punishment of seven years in jail. Tamima has been charged with forgery.
"Tamima has forged divorce documents and postal receipts to show that she was no longer married with Rakib," Rakib's lawyer Ishrat Hasan said.
Farid Uddin Khan, who represents the cricketer and Tamima, said the court would record the testimony of witnesses from March 10.
"Adultery cases are rare. Usually, it's tough to prove. We are confident these charges cannot be proved," he said.
Both Nasir and Tamima are currently out on bail.
Nasir played 19 Tests, 65 one-day internationals and 31 Twenty20 internationals for Bangladesh.
His last international match, an ODI, was against Sri Lanka in 2018 in Dhaka.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)