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TL;DR
- Dismissed Executive Magistrate Taapsee Tabassum Urmi ordered to appear in court on November 28, 2024, by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Zakir Hossain.
- Abu Hanif, a senior council member and media coordinator of the People’s Rights Council, filed a case against Taapsee for alleged derogatory comments about Abu Saeed.
- Abu Saeed, a student from Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, was the first casualty of police gunfire during the anti-discrimination student movement on July 16, 2024.
- Taapsee’s dismissal and legal action highlight growing scrutiny of government officials’ conduct during recent unrest and the broader issues of freedom of speech and political accountability.
Dismissed Executive Magistrate Taapsee Tabassum Urmi has been ordered to appear in court on November 28, 2024. The directive was issued on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Zakir Hossain.
This court summons follows a case filed against Taapsee by Abu Hanif, a senior council member and media coordinator of the People’s Rights Council. Lawyer Khademul Islam stated that after the hearing, the magistrate recorded the complainant’s statement and indicated that an order would be issued later.
The case against Taapsee stems from alleged derogatory comments she made about Abu Saeed, a student from the English Department of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur. Saeed was the first casualty of police gunfire during the anti-discrimination student movement on July 16, 2024.
This incident was part of a larger series of protests that began on July 1, 2024, when students across Bangladesh formed an organization to oppose quotas and discrimination in government job allocations. The movement gained momentum after Saeed’s death, evolving from a quota reform protest into a broader anti-discrimination campaign.
The protests escalated rapidly, with clashes between students, police, and members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) reported across the country. By July 19, the death toll had reached alarming numbers, prompting the government to impose a communication blackout and deploy additional security forces.
Taapsee’s dismissal from her position as Executive Magistrate and the subsequent legal action against her highlight the growing scrutiny of government officials’ conduct during the recent unrest. Her controversial Facebook posts, which included calling the martyred Abu Saeed a “terrorist,” have drawn significant public attention and criticism.
As the legal proceedings unfold, this case is likely to draw further attention to the broader issues of freedom of speech, political accountability, and the aftermath of the student movement in Bangladesh. The November 28 court appearance of Taapsee Tabassum Urmi is expected to be closely watched by both supporters of the student movement and government officials.
Source: The Daily Star
