Controversial Post On FB: Suspended Magistrate Urmi Faces Defamation Lawsuit

A defamation lawsuit has been filed against executive magistrate Tapasi Tabassum Urmi for making objectionable comments about Abu Sayed, who was killed during an anti-discrimination student movement.

On Tuesday (October 8), Abu Hanif, a senior member and media coordinator of the Ganodharma Party, filed the case in the court of Dhaka's Metropolitan Magistrate Zakir Hossain.

The plaintiff's lawyer, Md. Khademul Islam, confirmed the details of the case.

The petition states that on Saturday (October 5), Urmi not only disrespected martyr Abu Sayed but also made derogatory remarks on Facebook against the government, including Nobel laureate and Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who leads the government formed through the student movement. The comments allegedly slandered a government leader constituted in accordance with the constitution based on the Supreme Court's reference and instilled fear among the public by threatening to overthrow the government.

Previously, Tapasi Tabassum Urmi faced criticism for her controversial remarks about Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of the interim government, on Facebook. Following this, the government first transferred her to Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Ministry of Public Administration on Sunday (October 6) and subsequently suspended her on Monday (October 7).

In response to this, Mansur Hossain, the public relations officer of the Ministry of Public Administration, stated that Urmi was placed on OSD before her suspension, and departmental action against her is also underway.

On Saturday (October 5), Urmi wrote on her Facebook, “The chief advisor of the constitutionally baseless interim government has said that the reset button has been pushed. The past has been erased. He has erased all past history of the country with a click of the reset button. It's that easy? The countdown has begun for you, sir.”

When asked about her post, Urmi told the media that her reaction was a response to a statement made by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of the interim government.

Dr. A.K.M. Enamul Haque, a former director of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center, stated that government employees must adhere to the conduct rules of 1979. He emphasized that such criticism of the government that could affect the relationship between the government and the public is prohibited under clause 23.