Awami League lawmaker for women’s reserved seat Nadira Yasmin Joly allegedly threatened to slap Pabna district women’s affairs officer Kaniz Irene Jahan for being late to invite the lawmaker in a programme marking the International Women’s Day in Pabna.
The district women’s affairs officer made the allegation in a programme marking the day at Pabna deputy commissioner’s conference room on Tuesday.
The lawmaker was scheduled to attend the programme as the chief guest but she was absent.
An audio record of the alleged conversation went viral on social media on Tuesday and the lawmaker claimed that her speech in the conversation was edited.
Kaniz alleged that lawmaker Nadira was the chief guest at the function of the Department of Women’s Affairs on the occasion of International Women’s Day and that her office was a little bit late to invite her due to official reasons.
On Monday, the official said, Pabna Sadar Upazila Parishad vice-chairman Shamsunnahar Rekha called her at about 11:00am on Monday and wanted to know why the invitation letter was not given to the lawmaker.
‘I then informed her that all the letters were being sent. Just then, MP Nadira Yasmin Joly took the phone from the vice-chairman and started to hurl “unacceptable words” on me. At one point, she threatened to slap me and to release me from Pabna,’ Kaniz said.
She said that if there was any irregularity in her work, the lawmaker could recommend administrative action but none can threat to slap me.
‘My parents never slapped me. But on this Women’s Day, I had to face such a situation. I am here to serve the government, not to be slapped on the Women’s Day. I am mentally and physically ill since the incident,’ Kaniz said in the programme.
Pabna additional deputy commissioner (local government) Mokhlesur Rahman presided over the programme.
The lawmaker Nadira Yasmin Joly alleged that the women’s affairs officer was a corrupt official and that the official did not feel the need to invite her to the Women’s Day programme though she was a female lawmaker.
She said that the allegations brought against her were baseless and motivated and the viral conversation was edited.
ADC Mokhlesur told reporters that the women’s affairs officer had made the allegation verbally and a decision would be taken by their higher authorities.
