‘Beggar’s child’: BNP's Rumeen Farhana retaliates in Facebook firestorm after Hasnat Abdullah’s jibe

She has posted photos and records on social media to suggest Hasnat’s “past ties with Chhatra League”

File Photo

The BNP’s Assistant International Affairs Secretary Rumeen Farhana and National Citizen Party Chief Organiser (South) Hasnat Abdullah have become embroiled in a heated “war of words”.

After Hasnat branded Rumeen as “BNP’s Awami League affairs secretary”, Rumeen retaliated by calling him a “beggar’s child”.

On Monday night, she posted several photos and screenshots of Hasnat’s past activities on her verified Facebook page, adding the caption: “Isn’t this that beggar’s child who called me the Awami League affairs secretary?”

Her post featured a photo of Hasnat standing in front of wall graffiti that read: “Fortunate is he who had the chance to be a proud activist of Chhatra League in student life.”

Rumeen also attached several items in the post: Hasnat’s Mar 18, 2020 article in the daily Ittefaq about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasnat’s post marking Bangabandhu’s birthday on Mar 17, 2020, a photo of Hasnat with former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, and Hasnat’s nomination letter as joint secretary to the Bangladesh Chhatra League central committee dated Jul 31, 2022.

The political sparring followed Sunday’s scuffle at the Election Commission headquarters during a hearing on redrawing the boundaries of Brahmanbaria-2 and Brahmanbaria-3 constituencies.

At the hearing, Rumeen spoke in favour of the EC’s draft proposal, while Mohammad Ataullah, the joint chief organiser of the NCP, opposed it, sparking a confrontation between activists from the two parties.

Later, at a press briefing, Hasnat described Rumeen as “BNP’s Awami League affairs secretary”.

He also accused her of benefitting under the previous government.

“For the past 15 years, she has enjoyed a very good life. Of course she did, because she received every possible privilege,” he said.