Court Correspondent

Suspended assistant commissioner Taposhi Tabassum Urmi on Thursday received bail in a defamation case after she surrendered to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court in Dhaka.

Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Md Imran Ahmed granted her bail after hearing both sides.

According to the court sources, Tabassum Urmi came to the CMM court at 10:30 am and surrendered to the court through her lawyer. The prosecution side however opposed the bail petition.

Abu Hanif, media coordinator and upper council member of the Gano Adhikar Parishad, on 8 August lodged a defamation case against Tabassum Urmi for her derogatory comments about Shaheed Abu Sayeed and other martyrs of the July-August uprising.

Later, Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Zakir Hossain recorded the statement of the complainant and asked Tabassum Urmi to surrender before the CMM Court on 28 November.

The prosecution statement of the case said Tabassum Urmi, being a responsible government officer, expressed derogatory remarks not only about Shaheed Abu Sayeed but also Noble Laureate and Chief Adviser of the interim government Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus on her Facebook page on 5 October last.

She also defamed the interim government constitutionally formed in line with the reference of the Supreme Court and threatened to oust the government by creating fear in the public mind through her Facebook post.

Tabassum Urmi was first made an officer on special duty (OSD) on 6 October for her Facebook remarks and was attached with the Public Administration ministry. Later she was suspended on 7 October.

Administrative measures are also in progress against her as per the service rule, Public Relations Officer of the Public Administration ministry said.