Rumeen Farhana, a legislator representing Brahmanbaria-2, faced a disruption while attempting to lay a wreath at the Shaheed Minar in Sarail upazila on the occasion of International Mother Language Day. The incident involved a clash between two groups, resulting in her wreath being torn apart. Despite police intervention, she left the ceremony without paying her respects. Subsequently, her supporters staged a one-hour protest by blocking the Dhaka–Sylhet highway.
In a statement to the media, Rumeen accused local BNP leaders and activists of instigating the chaos. She claimed that while following protocol to lay flowers at the Shaheed Minar, she was targeted in a pre-planned attack by BNP members.
Expressing concerns about the potential ramifications, Rumeen warned about the adverse effects if the BNP were to assume power without controlling their grassroots supporters. She emphasized the need for the party leadership to take action against those misusing their positions for violent actions, highlighting the potential harm to both the BNP’s reputation and the government’s image.
Eyewitnesses and police reported that Rumeen arrived at the Shaheed Minar site with a large group of supporters around midnight to offer tributes. As she was preparing to place a wreath at the monument, a group of BNP leaders and activists, led by Anowar Hossain Master, arrived, sparking tension between the two factions.
Amid the ensuing chaos and pushing, the wreath brought by Rumeen was destroyed, and some individuals were observed disrespectfully stepping onto the Shaheed Minar platform wearing shoes. The police were alerted to the altercation and intervened to restore order, but Rumeen departed without completing the wreath-laying ceremony.
Following the incident, Rumeen’s supporters staged a demonstration by blocking the Dhaka–Sylhet highway, demanding accountability from Anowar Hossain. Traffic was disrupted for an hour until law enforcement officials intervened and promised to take legal action. The blockade was lifted, and traffic resumed normal flow.
Anisul Islam Thakur, the president of the Sarail Upazila BNP unit, confirmed that the party had a specific protocol for paying respects at the Shaheed Minar and assured that the incident would be investigated internally.
In the 13th Parliamentary Election, Rumeen secured victory in the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency as an independent candidate with the “duck” symbol, garnering 118,547 votes. Her closest competitor, Maulana Junayed Al Habib of Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, supported by the BNP-led alliance, received 80,434 votes with the “date tree” symbol.