Trial begins for suspended asst commissioner Urmi who criticised govt on FB

A Dhaka court today ordered the framing of charges against Tapashee Tabassum Urmi, suspended assistant commissioner (executive magistrate) of the Lalmonirhat District Commissioner's Office, for making derogatory remarks on Facebook against Shaheed Abu Sayed who was killed during the July uprising and criticising the interim government.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah issued the order after the case was transferred to the court, according to Khademul Islam, the plaintiff's lawyer.

On 8 October last year, Abu Hanif, a member of the higher council and media coordinator of Gono Odhikar Parishad, filed the defamation case against Urmi.

The court issued a summon on 28 November, requiring her to appear in court. On the same day, she surrendered and applied for bail. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Imran Ahmed granted the bail.

The case alleges that on 5 October 2024, Urmi made derogatory remarks on Facebook against Shaheed Abu Sayed, who was killed during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in July 2024, the government formed through the student-people mass uprising, and the head of government, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Following discussions regarding her Facebook post, Urmi was made an officer on special duty, commonly known as OSD, in the Ministry of Public Administration and later suspended. A decision was also made to file a departmental case against her.