The interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, has dismissed former executive magistrate of Lalmonirhat, Tapashee Tabassum Urmi, for criticising the chief adviser on social media for defaming the Liberation War and questioning the governmentโs legitimacy.
A gazette notification was issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Wednesday.
She was first transferred as an officer on special duty (OSD) and then suspended, and now she has been dismissed from service for Facebook posts in October 2024. A departmental case is underway.
Abu Sayed Case: An example of fraudulence, a travesty of justice
July Conspiracy: Gazetted lists contain many fake martyrs, injured fighters
Special benefits, law for July martyrs, warriors amid row over fake lists
Yunus Gangโs โmobโ and โpressure groupโ theory
Awami League observes anniversary through online campaigns, meetings, marches
How the deep state engineered Sheikh Hasinaโs ouster in August 2024
ICT-BD proceedings against Sheikh Hasina merely a show trial, says party
Meanwhile, Tapashee was served two show-cause notices. In response, she justified her stance boldly, as she said in a recent interview.
Tapashee added that she had no previous record of engaging in politics, but she became aware of the Liberation War and Bangabandhu while preparing for the BCS exams.
Daughter of a retired professor and hailing from Mymensingh, Tapashee is a computer engineer graduating from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in the 2010-11 session. She joined the public service through the 40th BCS in 2022.
On October 5, Tapashee wrote on Facebook: “The chief adviser of the constitutionally baseless interim government has said a reset button has been pushed. The past is erased. He deleted all the past history of the country by clicking a reset button. So simple. The countdown has begun for you, sir.”
When asked about the post, Tapashee told media: “I shared the post on Facebook, which should be enough to explain. I had set it to ‘only me’ on Facebook, so the transfer could be due to various reasons. If I lose my job because of it, I will be fine with that. But what does pressing the reset button to delete the past mean? I believe that forces opposing the Liberation War exist within our country’s governance structure. The July massacre and other events require investigation, as they are not yet proven facts.”
Journalists, human rights activists, and government critics expressed frustration, saying that the suspension and subsequent cases raise questions about the very foundation of freedom of speech.
They argue that the lack of freedom of speech and space to voice opinions, be it on social media platforms or otherwise, was one of the hallmarks of the previous Awami League regime. Instead of suspending Tapashee, senior journalist Masood Kamal said that the government should have taken action against the top bureaucrats who had served the Awami League regime.
Tapashee has become an icon of protest among the Awami League leaders and supporters who are active on social media. Since October 6, when her OSD order came to the media, hundreds of profiles and pages have been created on Facebook, Dhaka Tribune has observed. The Public Administration Ministry suspended her the same day.
During this time, Tapashee’s personal profile, as well as the fake profiles and new pages, all gained followers and friends very quickly.
These accounts are publicising Tapashee’s Facebook posts and her statements in the media, while also promoting the Awami League in the comments section of news-related pages.
English