Assistant tax commissioner suspended for verbally abusing traffic sergeant

Fatema Begum, an assistant commissioner in Dhaka’s Tax Zone 25, has been suspended after verbally abusing a traffic sergeant on duty.

According to a notification issued Sunday by the Internal Revenue Service of the finance ministry, the altercation occurred on Apr 12 when Fatema was traveling with her husband and was stopped by Traffic Sergeant Shaha Jamal, who requested to see their car documents.

A video of the encounter, which later spread widely on social media, shows Fatema berating the sergeant.

According to the notification, Jamal stopped the couple’s Toyota around 8pm on the day of the incident.

Fatema reportedly refused to produce the documents, insisting they were in order.

When the officer again asked to see the documents, Fatema stepped out of the vehicle and hurled insults, including calling him “a child from a lowly family” and “a child of beggar,” and accusing him of taking bribes “all his life,” the notification said.

Jamal subsequently filed a case against her at Lalbagh Police Station.

The ministry said it decided to take departmental action against Fatema for misconduct.

She has been temporarily suspended under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.