Cop suspended for harassing teacher over wearing ‘teep’
Amid outrage on social media and beyond, Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday suspended constable Nazmul Tareque, who was accused of harassing a college teacher for wearing a "teep" on her forehead.
DMP has taken the move hours after its Tejgaon Division identified the constable from CCTV footages and intelligence information, confirmed Md Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner of DMP, to The Daily Star.
A probe body, comprising additional deputy commissioner of protection unit and assistant commissioner of Tejgaon Division of DMP, was also formed to investigate the incident.
The committee was instructed to submit a report within three working days, according to an order signed by Mostaq Ahmed, deputy commissioner (protection unit) of the DMP.
Earlier on Saturday, Tejgaon College teacher Lata Samaddar filed a general diary with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station saying a policeman harassed and verbally abused her after seeing a teep on her forehead while she was going to the campus.
The incident drew huge public attention, and people, both men and women, posted photos of themselves wearing teep on social media as a form of protest.
Biplob Kumar Sarker, deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon division, said, "We have identified the policeman… He admitted that an incident occurred with college teacher Lata Samaddar.
"Now we will carry out a proper investigation on the basis of the general diary filed by the teacher."
He added that police have been working tirelessly to identify the culprit after Lata filed the GD.
Constable Tareque had been working with the protection division of DMP.
Replying to a query, the DC said, "We don't need to take him in custody. He is a policeman…We will talk to him whenever necessary during the investigation."
Biplob said they found that the motorcycle, mentioned in the GD, belongs to the constable and has valid papers.
DMP Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said departmental action would be taken against the constable once the investigation is done.
According to sources, DMP's Tejgaon Division first collected the CCTV footage and sent it to all divisions to identify the policeman after the GD was filed. The protection division was the one to identify him.
Rubaiyet Zaman, additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division, told The Daily Star that on the day of the incident, Tareque was on his way to work, adding that they would talk to him about his alleged behaviour.
"We will find out what actually happened after talking to both parties."
Contacted yesterday, Prof Malay Bala of Dhaka University, husband of Lata, said he was content that the DMP could identify the policeman and has taken action against him.