Sunday, 14 September, 2025
Jannatul Ferdous Moumita, a 30-year-old assistant professor of fine arts at Jahangirnagar University, was preparing to visit her husband’s home after a modest wedding in January — a joyful milestone she never lived to celebrate.
On Friday morning, Moumita collapsed while on duty overseeing the vote count for the university’s central students’ union (JUCSU) election. Her sudden death has left her family, students, and colleagues in deep mourning, with many weeping as they offered flowers and final respects.
She was laid to rest at Arifpur Sadar graveyard in Pabna following a funeral prayer at Kacharipara Jame Mosque after the evening prayer on Friday.
Students recalled seeing her healthy and energetic only days earlier. "She was not just a teacher to us; she was like our elder sister. The place she held in our hearts, the way she taught us... this is an irreparable loss," said Jannatul Ferdous, a student.
Moumita was the only daughter of journalist Rumi Khondoker of the daily Ittefaq and former teacher Lutfun Nahar Poli. Her father recalled the shocking moment: “I spoke to her after she returned home from her JUCSU duty. On her way back to the counting room in the morning, she suddenly collapsed and died.”
Pabna Press Club’s former secretary Utpal Mirza expressed his grief, saying, “The preliminary wedding rituals in Savar were already completed. A grand ceremony was planned soon, but that will never happen. We never imagined Rumi bhai’s only daughter would leave so suddenly. This kind of loss is unbearably hard to accept.”
"She was not just a teacher to us; she was like our elder sister. The place she held in our hearts, the way she taught us... this is an irreparable loss," said Jannatul Ferdous, a student.
Prof Abdul Alim, former dean of Bangla literature at Pabna University of Science and Technology, added: “I knew the family for years through her father’s journalism. She often visited my home during her student days. Her dream was to teach and pursue research. With her death, the university has lost a bright academic — an irreparable loss.”
A former student of Pabna Government Girls’ School and Pabna Women’s College, Moumita completed both her honours and master’s degrees in fine arts at Jahangirnagar University before joining as a lecturer in 2021. At the JUCSU polls, she had been assigned as the polling officer for Pritilata Hall.
Returning officer Sultana Akter described Moumita’s final hours: “She had worked tirelessly throughout the day and went to bed under immense pressure. Perhaps she could not sleep. In the morning, she felt unwell and could not come on her own. Guards were sent to fetch her. She collapsed while climbing to the third floor and died shortly afterwards, before she could be taken to hospital.”
The JUCSU election results were delayed after the commission abandoned the use of OMR machines due to objections from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and decided to count votes manually. By Friday night, results had still not been declared. Criticising the delay, Sultana said, “If the results had been released on Thursday, she might not have died.”
Jannatul Ferdous Moumita’s sudden death is a tragic reminder of the pressures faced by educators and students alike. Her family, colleagues, and students now mourn a talented young academic whose dreams — both personal and professional — were cruelly cut short.
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Jannatul Ferdous Moumita, a 30-year-old assistant professor of fine arts at Jahangirnagar University, was preparing to visit her husband’s home after a modest wedding in January — a joyful milestone she never lived to celebrate.
On Friday morning, Moumita collapsed while on duty overseeing the vote count for the university’s central students’ union (JUCSU) election. Her sudden death has left her family, students, and colleagues in deep mourning, with many weeping as they offered flowers and final respects.
She was laid to rest at Arifpur Sadar graveyard in Pabna following a funeral prayer at Kacharipara Jame Mosque after the evening prayer on Friday.
Students recalled seeing her healthy and energetic only days earlier. "She was not just a teacher to us; she was like our elder sister. The place she held in our hearts, the way she taught us... this is an irreparable loss," said Jannatul Ferdous, a student.
Moumita was the only daughter of journalist Rumi Khondoker of the daily Ittefaq and former teacher Lutfun Nahar Poli. Her father recalled the shocking moment: “I spoke to her after she returned home from her JUCSU duty. On her way back to the counting room in the morning, she suddenly collapsed and died.”
Pabna Press Club’s former secretary Utpal Mirza expressed his grief, saying, “The preliminary wedding rituals in Savar were already completed. A grand ceremony was planned soon, but that will never happen. We never imagined Rumi bhai’s only daughter would leave so suddenly. This kind of loss is unbearably hard to accept.”
"She was not just a teacher to us; she was like our elder sister. The place she held in our hearts, the way she taught us... this is an irreparable loss," said Jannatul Ferdous, a student.
Prof Abdul Alim, former dean of Bangla literature at Pabna University of Science and Technology, added: “I knew the family for years through her father’s journalism. She often visited my home during her student days. Her dream was to teach and pursue research. With her death, the university has lost a bright academic — an irreparable loss.”
A former student of Pabna Government Girls’ School and Pabna Women’s College, Moumita completed both her honours and master’s degrees in fine arts at Jahangirnagar University before joining as a lecturer in 2021. At the JUCSU polls, she had been assigned as the polling officer for Pritilata Hall.
Returning officer Sultana Akter described Moumita’s final hours: “She had worked tirelessly throughout the day and went to bed under immense pressure. Perhaps she could not sleep. In the morning, she felt unwell and could not come on her own. Guards were sent to fetch her. She collapsed while climbing to the third floor and died shortly afterwards, before she could be taken to hospital.”
The JUCSU election results were delayed after the commission abandoned the use of OMR machines due to objections from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and decided to count votes manually. By Friday night, results had still not been declared. Criticising the delay, Sultana said, “If the results had been released on Thursday, she might not have died.”
Jannatul Ferdous Moumita’s sudden death is a tragic reminder of the pressures faced by educators and students alike. Her family, colleagues, and students now mourn a talented young academic whose dreams — both personal and professional — were cruelly cut short.
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