Former police constable Nazmul Tarek has filed a defamation case against teacher Lata Samaddar and a number of celebrities over the much-discussed “Tip incident” that took place in Farmgate, Dhaka, in 2022. He had lost his job at the time after allegedly making derogatory remarks about the woman’s tip on her forehead.
He filed the case at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka on Thursday (April 17).
The court has taken cognizance of the complaint and directed Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station to investigate and submit a report.
The accused in the case include the then-victim, Dr. Lata Samaddar, a teacher at Tejgaon College. Also named are her husband Dr. Maloy Mala, a professor in the Department of Oriental Art at Dhaka University, and 16 well-known figures from the entertainment industry including Anisur Rahman Milon, Suborna Mustafa, Saju Khadem, Pran Roy, Simon Sadiq, Manoj Pramanik, Swadhin Khasru, Chayanika Chowdhury, Bhavna, Jyotika Jyoti, Urmila Srabonti Kar, Debi San, Naznin Nahar Chumki, Sushoma Sarkar and Kusum Sikder.
In the complaint, Nazmul Tarek alleged that during the 2022 protest on social media over the tip-related incident, these celebrities deliberately tarnished the image of the police. Through their posts and statements online, they spread hatred against him, which caused serious damage to both his professional and social life, he alleged.
The incident occurred on April 2, 2022, when a motorcycle allegedly hit Lata Samaddar in Dhaka’s Farmgate area. A man in police uniform then reportedly said to her, “Why are you wearing a tip?” Lata later filed a complaint against the cop, Nazmul Tarek at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
She had stated that she was harassed near her college and that a uniformed policeman made offensive remarks about her wearing a tip.
The incident sparked widespread outrage, especially on social media. Many celebrities showed solidarity with Lata by posting photos of themselves wearing tips as a form of protest.
Following a departmental investigation, Nazmul Tarek lost his job. He later launched a legal battle to get reinstated. That case is currently pending before the Administrative Tribunal. He had also held press conferences and human chains along with his wife and child, demanding his job back, and submitted appeals to the police headquarters.
Now, two years later, he has filed a defamation case. It has also created outrage in social media.