Published: June 28, 2025, 02:11 PM
Umama Fatema, the prominent spokesperson of Students Against Discrimination (SAD), has announced her resignation from the organisation, expressing deep disappointment and disillusionment over its internal operations and political affiliations.
In a detailed post on her verified Facebook page early Friday (28 June), Umama declared her formal withdrawal from all organisational activities, stating that both she and many like-minded students who joined the platform with hopes of transformative change had been misled and marginalised.
“I came to this platform to uphold the ideals of the July uprising,” she wrote. “But all of us were only deceived.”
She said she was initially assured independence in her role but quickly realised that words like "reform," "martyrs," and "July" were being used superficially. Umama also spoke about facing pressure-both online and offline-to distance herself from the platform, and despite her efforts to keep the movement alive, she eventually felt isolated and undermined.
A key point in her statement was her criticism of the formation of the National Citizen Party (NCP), which she claimed compromised the independence of SAD. According to her, the emergence of political interests within the platform made it impossible to work freely. She also alleged that former allies turned against her, using junior members for smear campaigns.
“They use people like tissue paper,” she remarked. “Once the need is over, they’re thrown away.”
Though she acknowledged that some local committee members had genuine intentions, she said they too were sidelined by opportunistic leadership.
Reflecting on her journey, Umama revealed she had emotionally struggled with the idea of resigning and had drafted several resignation letters over the past months but held back due to her attachment to the cause.
She also criticised the recent central council election held on 25 June, saying that most dedicated activists were not allowed to contest, and voting was limited to individuals affiliated with a particular political group. She reluctantly voted at the last minute in support of a few sincere candidates but expressed shame after witnessing irregularities-like an unelected individual being included in the council.
After the election, Rashidul Islam (Rifat Rashid) was declared president, Md Inamul Hasan general secretary, Muinul Islam organising secretary, and Sinthia Jahin Ayesha the new spokesperson.
Umama ended her post with a grim outlook on the platform’s future.
“I wanted something good to emerge from within, but I now realise it’s not possible. The future of this platform looks bleak,” she concluded.
Expressing her intention to move on, she wrote, “I want to shake off the past 8–9 months and move forward. To the young members-focus on your studies and your work. I’m not breaking down; I’m reorganising.”
