Police take constable into custody for harassing a college teacher

A police constable who harassed a teacher in Dhaka’s Farmgate for wearing a tip – a traditional adornment – has been identified and taken into custody.

“The constable is named Nazmul Tareque,” said Biplob Kumar Sarkar, deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. “Our investigation found that he was involved in the incident.”

Asked what action will be taken against the police constable, Dhaka Police Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said: “Administrative action will be taken against him.”

Lata Samaddar, a lecturer of theatre and media studies at Dhaka’s Tejgaon College, filed a general diary alleging she was harassed by a man in a police uniform at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Saturday.

The GD accused the man of ‘harassing her’ and then making ‘an attempt on her life’ when she objected to the mistreatment.

News of the incident spread quickly on social media, drawing heavy criticism.

Actress and MP Suborna Mustafa discussed the incident in parliament on Sunday, demanding that action be taken against the harasser.

Inspector Jahangir Alam of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station said that CCTV footage had been collected from near the scene of the incident, but they were initially unable to confirm the harasser was a policeman.

Investigators were making a list of the police personnel on duty in the area, and a probe was conducted into the motorcycle licence plate number observed by the victim, but police officials did not comment on how they identified Nazmul Tareque.

The victim said she was at Shezan Point around 8:20 am on Saturday when a man dressed in a police uniform and sitting on a motorcycle began harassing her and cursing at her for wearing a tip.

“When I objected to his behaviour, he insulted me again, started his vehicle and made an attempt on my life by trying to run me over. I was caught under the wheels of the motorcycle and was seriously hurt.”

Though she could not name the man, she said he was 'fat', 'middle-aged' and 'had a beard'.

She reported the matter to a nearby member of the traffic police, who told her to file a GD on the matter.