On 28 October 1931, the district magistrate in Dhaka was shot and wounded. Police carried out ruthless tortures, seized valuables and attacked the Nationalists. To protest against the police atrocities Subhas decided to tour Dhaka and went by steamer to Narayanganj. He was met by the police officer who refused to allow him to disembark. He was taken to the police station. Ellison, the officer in charge, addressed him as "Subhas". "Do you mind? I am Subhas Babu or Mr. Bose to you", told an incensed and irked Subhas to the officer, who acquiesced, but would not allow him to enter Dhaka.
When Subhas was the Chief Executive Officer of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, Nr. Coates, the chief engineer, had come to meet him while smoking a cigarette. Subhas asked him, "Is it proper, Mr. Coates, to smoke before a superior officer?" Coates apologized and crushed his cigarette. He never again smoked in front of Subhas without his explicit permission.