Saturday, 02 August, 2025
Former spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Umama Fatema, has alleged that the July Movement has been transformed into a "money-making machine," driven by lobbying, influence peddling, and internal power struggles.
In a Facebook livestream on Sunday night, Umama—who resigned from the platform on 27 June—claimed she only became fully aware of the extent of financial and political manipulation after assuming the role of spokesperson.
“I never imagined something like this could be monetised,” she said. “But once I stepped into the role, I saw just how entrenched the system was.”
She accused individuals within the movement of engaging in tender lobbying, influence trading, and even seeking appointments to key administrative positions such as deputy commissioners.
Calling the situation “deeply unfortunate,” Umama said she had been unaware of the behind-the-scenes dealings until she assumed a leadership role. She described her experience with the movement as a “tragic chapter” in her life.
In the two-hour and 24-minute livestream, Umama recounted the events following the mass protest on 5 August, alleging that individuals suddenly began declaring themselves “coordinators” to claim control over different areas and leverage the movement for personal gain.
“On 4 August, no one was even willing to introduce themselves as coordinators,” she said. “But by the next morning, everyone had a title—using it to extort and occupy.”
She likened the rapid expansion of self-declared leaders to the formation of a "coordinator force," and questioned whether the movement had retained any genuine purpose beyond accommodating vested interests.
Umama said she had advocated for decentralisation and broader inclusion within the platform but was met with hostility for expressing such views.
She pointed to the centralised leadership structure as a major factor behind what she termed the platform’s “long-term flaws.”
During the July protests, Umama also served as the member secretary of the Dhaka University chapter of the Student Federation. She resigned from that post after the movement and was appointed spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in October last year.
Reflecting on her tenure, Umama said she often felt excluded from real decision-making processes, which she claimed were dominated by a close-knit group based at the Hare Road residence of the movement’s chief advisor.
“Every decision was made there—and only those decisions were implemented,” she said.
She described enduring “months of stress, confusion and chaos,” noting that allegations of extortion, nepotism, and internal shielding were widely known but rarely addressed.
“Even addressing the Chattogram issue alone would have exposed many people,” she said. “And there are similar accounts from other districts. Once I began investigating, I realised just how widespread the rot was.”
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Former spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Umama Fatema, has alleged that the July Movement has been transformed into a "money-making machine," driven by lobbying, influence peddling, and internal power struggles.
In a Facebook livestream on Sunday night, Umama—who resigned from the platform on 27 June—claimed she only became fully aware of the extent of financial and political manipulation after assuming the role of spokesperson.
“I never imagined something like this could be monetised,” she said. “But once I stepped into the role, I saw just how entrenched the system was.”
She accused individuals within the movement of engaging in tender lobbying, influence trading, and even seeking appointments to key administrative positions such as deputy commissioners.
Calling the situation “deeply unfortunate,” Umama said she had been unaware of the behind-the-scenes dealings until she assumed a leadership role. She described her experience with the movement as a “tragic chapter” in her life.
In the two-hour and 24-minute livestream, Umama recounted the events following the mass protest on 5 August, alleging that individuals suddenly began declaring themselves “coordinators” to claim control over different areas and leverage the movement for personal gain.
“On 4 August, no one was even willing to introduce themselves as coordinators,” she said. “But by the next morning, everyone had a title—using it to extort and occupy.”
She likened the rapid expansion of self-declared leaders to the formation of a "coordinator force," and questioned whether the movement had retained any genuine purpose beyond accommodating vested interests.
Umama said she had advocated for decentralisation and broader inclusion within the platform but was met with hostility for expressing such views.
She pointed to the centralised leadership structure as a major factor behind what she termed the platform’s “long-term flaws.”
During the July protests, Umama also served as the member secretary of the Dhaka University chapter of the Student Federation. She resigned from that post after the movement and was appointed spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in October last year.
Reflecting on her tenure, Umama said she often felt excluded from real decision-making processes, which she claimed were dominated by a close-knit group based at the Hare Road residence of the movement’s chief advisor.
“Every decision was made there—and only those decisions were implemented,” she said.
She described enduring “months of stress, confusion and chaos,” noting that allegations of extortion, nepotism, and internal shielding were widely known but rarely addressed.
“Even addressing the Chattogram issue alone would have exposed many people,” she said. “And there are similar accounts from other districts. Once I began investigating, I realised just how widespread the rot was.”
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