Lata Samaddar, Suborna Mustafa among the accused

Tejgaon College teacher Lata Samaddar, noted actor Suborna Mustafa and 16 others have been sued for defamation in connection with a 2022 incident involving a police constable who allegedly harassed Samaddar over wearing a teep.

Nazmul Tareque, the constable accused in that incident and later suspended, filed the case yesterday with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque, said court bench assistant Towhid Khan.

The magistrate recorded the complainant's statement and directed the officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station to submit a report after investigating the case.

Dhaka University Professor Malay Bala, husband of Lata Samaddar, was also accused in the case.

Actors Anisur Rahman Milan and Saju Khadem, Pran Roy, Saymon Sadik, Manoj Pramanik, Swadhin Khasru, Chayanika Chowdhury, Ashna Habib Bhabna, Jyotika Jyoti, Urmila Srabanti Kar, Devi San, Nazneen Nahar Chumki, Sushma Sarkar and Kusum Sikder were also named accused.

On April 2, 2022, Lata alleged that a policeman, later identified as Nazmul Tareque, harassed and hurled abuse at her after seeing a teep on her forehead while she was on her way to campus.

When she protested, the constable allegedly threatened her and tried to run her over with his motorbike.

Samaddar later filed a written complaint with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

In his complaint, Nazmul claimed he had been subjected to harassment in various sectors because the accused had tarnished his honour over the incident.