Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) spokesperson Umama Fatema has made a series of explosive allegations about internal corruption, ideological deviation, and political manipulation; claiming the platform has “shattered the dreams of many.”
In a lengthy and strongly-worded Facebook post, she not only declared her resignation but also made these allegations on Friday night.
According to her post, the very movement that once inspired hope for a democratic and just Bangladesh following the student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, has lost its way. What began as a movement for quota reform grew into a massive democratic uprising, ultimately leading to the ouster of the ruling regime.
However, Umama now claims that the platform has been taken over by self-serving political actors.
She alleged that the organization’s recent leadership election in June 2025 was biased and politically influenced. Many of the delegates involved in the vote were reportedly affiliated with a political party and deserving candidates were sidelined.
Some individuals who did not even participate in the election process were later declared council members, which she described as a “brotherhood game.”
As spokesperson, Umama said she was denied access to the platform’s official Facebook page, while that same page was used to post status against her.
She claims this was part of a coordinated smear campaign by fellow leaders using junior members.
“Those I once marched with are now behind a deliberate campaign against me,” she wrote, pointing to a culture of personal dominance rather than shared political vision.
In her words, “This platform now uses people like tissue paper.” She accuses certain leaders of being desperate to gain political favour, abandoning earlier commitments to justice and reform. “They once spoke of the July uprising, the martyrs and the wounded. Now, they seek favour with political high commands,” she claimed.
Umama also described the internal environment as toxic and stifling, “By March-April, the platform had become a stagnant pond—full of rot.” She added that true believers in the movement’s values had been pushed aside by opportunists, saying, “Those with goodwill had no place; they were suffocated.”
She further stated, “If I had continued working independently, many people’s political futures would have been at risk. So I was pressured both online and offline.”
Her statement strongly implies that external political forces may have tried to take control of the platform to serve their own interests.
Umama not only resigned from the platform but also withdrew from its central council election, making her lack of trust in the platform abundantly clear. “I will never forgive those who turned the uprising into a tradable commodity,” she wrote, expressing both personal anguish and a wider generational disillusionment.
She ended her post with a message of hope and resolve, “I want to leave behind the last 8–9 months and move forward. I’ve seen many good people with goodwill in this platform. I advise all of you to focus on your studies and work. I’m not broken; I’m rebuilding. Fi Amanillah.”
