A Dhaka Administrative Appellate Tribunal has ordered the reinstatement of police constable Md Nazmul Tareq, who was dismissed from service following the widely discussed Farmgate "teep incident" in the capital.
Judge Md Amirul Islam of the Dhaka Administrative Tribunal delivered the verdict on Thursday.
Lawyer Abdur Rahim represented Nazmul, while Advocate Md Jasim Uddin appeared for the government.
The controversy dates back to April 2, 2022, when Nazmul Tareq, then serving in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Protection Division, became the focus of nationwide attention following an incident in the Farmgate area.
According to the allegations, Nazmul was riding a motorcycle on the wrong side of the road when he became involved in an altercation with Lata Samaddar, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Media Studies at Tejgaon College.
Samaddar later alleged that a man in police uniform verbally harassed her by saying, "Why are you wearing a teep?" The allegation quickly went viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism.
Following an investigation, Nazmul was first suspended and was later dismissed from service after departmental proceedings.
However, Nazmul consistently maintained that he had been framed. He denied making any derogatory remarks about Samaddar's teep and claimed there was no evidence to support the allegation.
He also said a nearby shopkeeper who witnessed the incident confirmed that he had made no such comment.
In November 2022, Nazmul filed a case with the Administrative Appellate Tribunal seeking reinstatement.
After hearing the case, the tribunal ordered that he be reinstated to his job.
