Former spokesperson accuses platform of political co-optation, smear campaigns, and betrayal of July uprising’s ideals.
Umama Fatema, a prominent student leader and former spokesperson of the Baisommobirodhi Chhatro Andolon (Anti-Discrimination Student Movement), has announced her departure from the platform, citing internal sabotage, political manipulation, and sustained personal attacks both online and offline.
In a lengthy and emotionally charged Facebook post made earlier this week, Umama reflected on her journey with the platform, expressing deep frustration over what she described as a “systematic campaign” to undermine her role and neutralize the independent direction of the movement. Although she had not officially resigned, Umama clarified that she had been functionally detached from the organization since April–May.
“I took up the banner of Baisommobirodhi not for political promotion, but to finish what July had started,” she wrote, referencing her motivation in the aftermath of last year’s student uprising. “But soon I realized that outside the party lines and prescriptions, there was no space left for the platform to breathe.”
She alleged that after the formation of a political party by some of the movement’s former leaders, Baisommobirodhi was increasingly used as an extension of that party’s influence. Umama said she faced severe pressure not to continue her work with the platform independently. When she resisted, she became the target of orchestrated character attacks.
“Those I marched with, sat in meetings with, used juniors to run smear campaigns against me,” she wrote. “Inside, they were smaller than they ever appeared outside.”
Umama described the internal environment of the platform as “rotten,” likening it to being hollowed out from within by opportunists. While acknowledging that many branch-level members had good intentions, she said they too were sidelined by those pursuing organizational control over collective action.
She claimed her access to official communication channels, including the organization’s Facebook page, was revoked, and that the same page was later used to post against her. “I was subjected to everything from silence to public humiliation. Every dirty trick in the book,” she stated.
Despite personal and mental struggles during the months of March and April, Umama said she continued to advise juniors and offer help where she could. She revealed that the final blow came during the council election, where a candidate who had not even contested was ultimately placed on the central council—indicative, in her view, of the continued backdoor dealings and undemocratic practices plaguing the platform.
“I tried till the last minute. Even voted, hoping something good might come of it,” she wrote. “But what I saw that night broke me again.”
In a powerful closing note, Umama announced that she was officially withdrawing her support and rescinding her vote from the platform’s council. She expressed sorrow over how the movement, which once united students across ideologies, had fallen victim to factionalism and opportunism.
“I went there with the dream of reforming the country, not throwing mud,” she said. “I will never forgive those who betrayed the ideals of July, who used our martyrs and wounded as bargaining chips.”
Umama ended her statement by urging current students to focus on their studies and personal growth, promising that she too would rebuild herself and move forward.
Her departure marks a significant moment in the post-July student political landscape and raises critical questions about the future of Baisommobirodhi Chhatro Andolon as an independent platform.
