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Published : 18 Dec 2025, 08:57 PM
Senior NCP leader Samantha Sharmin has alleged that party activist Jannatara Rumi received no protection from police despite being subjected to continuous threats and online bullying, and lodging formal complaints.
NCP Joint Convenor Shamantha visited the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue on Thursday to see Rumi’s body.
Samantha said detailed information -- including Facebook accounts and phone numbers of those threatening Rumi -- had been handed over to police, yet no action was taken against anyone.
She questioned how elections could take place in such circumstances, claiming that the lives of all July activists in Bangladesh were now under threat.
Drawing parallels between recent acts of violence, Samantha said the bullet that pierced the brain of Sharif Osman bin Hadi had shattered them, just as Rumi’s hanging body now symbolised the collective condition of the country and those who stood on the front lines of the July movement, including NCP activists.
She alleged that despite commitments made in the July Proclamation, no security arrangements were put in place for frontline activists, families of martyrs, the injured, or those who played an active role in the Uprising.
Rumi, 30, was a joint coordinator of the NCP’s Dhanmondi unit. She was the daughter of Md Zakir Hossain of Patnitala Upazila in Naogaon. A student of Gono Bishwabidyalay, she worked as a medical assistant and lived in a female hostel on Jigatola Old Kachabazar Road in Dhaka.
Police recovered her hanging body from her hostel room on Thursday morning after receiving a call to the national emergency number 999.
Hazaribagh Police Inspector (Investigation) Shahadat Hossain said depression medication was found in Rumi’s room and that neighbours indicated she had been mentally distressed.
Investigators are examining two key issues. Rumi’s cousin, Mehedi Hasan, told journalists that she had been married twice, both marriages had ended, and she had two children from those relationships who now live with their father.
He said these matters had “contributed to her distress”.
Rumi had also drawn public attention during the Awami League’s “Dhaka lockdown” on Nov 14, when a video showing her beating a middle-aged woman with a stick at Dhanmondi 32 went viral on Facebook.
After that, her address and family details were circulated online, and NCP leaders say she received threats of rape and murder, with her family also being targeted.
According to party leaders, Rumi had been living in trauma for several days and appeared withdrawn even during party programmes.
Samantha said Rumi was bullied relentlessly across all her social media accounts, including comments on her final post, wishing for Hadi’s recovery.
She confirmed that Rumi filed a general diary at Dhanmondi Police on Nov 13, submitting a list of those issuing threats along with account details and phone numbers.
She alleged that despite submitting evidence from their own investigations, the party saw no meaningful action from authorities.
Samantha warned that threats and attacks were continuing not only against NCP leaders and activists but against those associated with the July movement more broadly, calling it a national security issue rather than a partisan one.
She said Rumi’s death would not silence them, describing Rumi and Hadi as heroes, while insisting that the postmortem and police investigation must be conducted transparently, without concealing any information.
Raising concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to target women through cyberbullying, Samantha said she herself felt insecure about contesting elections, noting that despite clear evidence, not a single account had been acted against.
She warned that without institutional reform and decisive action against cyber harassment, merely pushing ahead with elections would not lead to a fair democratic process.
