Driven by an online romance, a Chinese national named Li Favin traveled from China to Bangladesh to marry a young woman in Osmani Nagar Upazila under the Sylhet district. Following localized tension regarding his religious credentials and marital status, local police briefly placed him in protective custody. He was released late Monday night after presenting official documentation confirming his conversion to Islam and legal marriage certificate.
The incident unfolded on Monday (November 2, 2026) night in Kadipur village within the Tajpur Union of Osmani Nagar.
Online Romance to Marriage in Sylhet
According to local sources, Jamal Mia—a permanent resident of Saharpara in neighboring Jagannathpur upazila—currently resides with his family in Kadipur village, Osmani Nagar. His daughter, Samia Akhtar, a madrasa student, had developed a long-distance relationship with Li Favin, a resident of Jiangxi province, China, through social media platforms. Honoring their commitment, Favin arrived in Bangladesh approximately a week ago and moved into Samia’s residence.
Curiosity, Local Tension, and Protective Custody
As news of the foreign visitor spread, curious crowds began gathering near the house on Monday afternoon. Questions regarding the visitor's religion and the legitimacy of the union sparked localized tension. To maintain law and order and ensure the foreign national's physical safety, a team from Osmani Nagar Police Station arrived at around 11:00 PM and took Favin into protective custody.
Later that night, the bride's family visited the police station and provided verified affidavits of his conversion to Islam alongside legal marriage registry documents. Satisfied with the paperwork, the police released him to his in-laws.
Conversion and Official Statement
Li Favin—who has taken the Islamic name 'Abdullah'—confirmed that he fell in love with Samia online and came to Bangladesh specifically to marry her following all formal procedures.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Osmani Nagar Police Station, Golam Mostafa, stated, "The Chinese national was brought into police custody purely for security precautions. Upon verifying the authentic conversion certificates and legal marriage papers, he was safely handed over to his in-laws."
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