Former Students Against Discrimination spokesperson Umama Fatema has quit the platform, alleging internal arbitrariness, smear campaigns against her and political favouritism, days after the platform elected its new leaders.
The SAD spearheaded the July uprising that ousted the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.
Umama, in a Facebook post on Saturday, wrote, 鈥楢 central council of the Students Against Discrimination was held the day before yesterday (June 25). This is where my official journey with the Students Against Discrimination ended.鈥�
Newly elected SAD president Rashidul Islam on Sunday told 抖阴精品 that he did not receive any formal communication from Umama over the issue.
In the Facebook post, Umama said, if the banner (SAD) operated independently beyond party favouritism and prescriptions, the political future of many would have been threatened.
She alleged that she was under online and offline pressure not to work with the banner.
The people, with whom she participated in rallies and processions, launched a smear campaign against her through their juniors, Umama alleged.
She mentioned that there were many activists with goodwill in different units of the platform, who came under the platform with dreams of change.
鈥楾hey tried to work. But they too could not find a place for these opportunists,鈥� she said, adding that she was not given the excess to the platform鈥檚 Facebook page, although she was the spokesperson of the platform.
About the recent council, Umama alleged that most of the people who wanted to work did not get the opportunity to become candidates in the council.
鈥楾he voters were very limited, all of whom were people from one political party,鈥� she said without mentioning the name of the political party.
鈥楥onsidering the mass uprising, I withdrew all support from the platform and the votes I cast in the council,鈥� she wrote.聽
On June 25, Rashidul Islam, also known as Rifat Rashid, and Sheikh Enamul Hasan, also known as Hasan Enam, and Sinthiya Zaheen Ayesha were elected president, general secretary and spokesperson of the SAD respectively.
Most of the central leaders of the platform, including Nahid Islam, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Abdul Hannan Masud left the platform and formed the National Citizen Party, a political party, after the uprising.
Umama, however, was not involved in the party.
She served as the sectary of the Students鈥� Federation of Bangladesh鈥檚 Dhaka University unit before joining the SAD.