Umama Fatema the former spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has made a bold and emotional statement, claiming that the July uprising a powerful youth-led protest movement has been turned into a “money-making machine.”
She made these remarks during a Facebook Live session from her verified account on Sunday night (28 July). The live broadcast lasted two hours and 24 minutes, during which she candidly shared her journey from joining the movement to her eventual resignation.
Reflecting on her time as a student activist, Umama Fatema said:
“July was an intense and unforgettable experience. But after I became the spokesperson for the movement, I slowly discovered that some people were using it for personal gain. It had never even crossed my mind that something so emotional and revolutionary could be used to make money.”
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She expressed shock and disappointment:
“So why on earth would I turn it into a money-making machine? But sadly, that’s exactly what happened. It became common it started happening on a regular basis.”
Context and Significance
Her words add a critical voice from within the movement itself, highlighting possible internal corruption and exploitation of a protest that had inspired thousands across Bangladesh. The July uprising, which saw youth flooding the streets with demands for justice and equality, was seen as a turning point in student activism.
Umama’s statement sheds light on what she calls a betrayal of the spirit of the movement, where financial interests allegedly crept into what was meant to be a purely people-powered struggle.
Her revelations are likely to spark new discussions both among activists and the general public about the transparency, leadership, and accountability of protest movements in Bangladesh.
Whether others in the leadership respond to these claims remains to be seen, but Umama Fatema’s live session has already left a deep impression as a rare moment of honesty from someone who once stood at the forefront of a movement that claimed to fight against injustice.
