Barrister Rumeen Farhana, the independent Member of Parliament for Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj-Bijoynagar), expressed strong anger at the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sarail Police Station over the failure to provide her personal security during Durga Puja and what she described as discourteous behaviour.
The heated exchange occurred around 8 pm on Thursday (22 October 2026) inside the OC’s room at the station, with videos later circulating widely on social media.
Rumeen Farhana, who won the seat as an independent candidate with the duck symbol in the 12 February 2026 national parliamentary election, told the OC that she had repeatedly requested personal security. While police provided it in Bijoynagar and Ashuganj, she received none in Sarail. She stated that under existing provisions—introduced after an Awami League-era MP was shot and killed in Gaibandha—an elected MP requesting security in the local area is entitled to it.
“How many times have I requested that security be provided? They gave me security in Bijoynagar and in Ashuganj. There is a law that if an elected MP asks for security, it should be given in the local area,” she said.
She further alleged that the OC (Mohammad Monzur Kader Bhuiyan) does not answer calls from her people and has said that “people will provide security” to an elected MP. Pointing to the large crowd that accompanied her, she remarked that thousands of people outside were already providing her protection because official arrangements were lacking.
She also levelled accusations of bribery and corruption, including taking money from soil cutting, sand businesses, and brick kilns, as well as dining at the homes of Awami League leaders. She described the area as prone to clashes, claiming police often arrive only after situations have calmed. Addressing the OC, she said, “You were a big Awami League [supporter]. We know everything.”
Assaults and cyberbullying since election
Since her February 12 victory, Rumeen Farhana has faced a series of physical assaults, obstructions, and intense online harassment. On International Mother Language Day (21 February 2026), local BNP activists allegedly prevented her from laying a wreath at the Sarail Shaheed Minar. A scuffle ensued in which her floral tribute was torn apart; she later said she was nearly pushed to the ground in what she called a premeditated attack and left under the protection of her own supporters. Her supporters subsequently blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in protest. In September 2026, two of her supporters were reportedly assaulted by local BNP leaders and activists in Ashuganj.
Cyberbullying has been equally prominent. After she visited Durga Puja mandaps, an AI-generated image portraying her as the Hindu goddess Durga circulated widely, which she condemned as an attempt to incite religious hatred and division.
In a detailed Facebook response, she listed numerous social wrongs (including violence against women, bribery, and corruption) that often go unchallenged, arguing that respect for other faiths is wrongly treated as a religious failing. Broader reporting around the February election and its aftermath documented elevated levels of digital violence against women candidates and public figures, including deepfakes, coordinated harassment, and AI-altered content, alongside physical election-related clashes and mob incidents across the country.
OC’s response and denials
OC Mohammad Monzur Kader Bhuiyan denied the allegations. He told reporters that Rumeen Farhana arrived with one to one-and-a-half hundred people (with hundreds more outside), created a chaotic and embarrassing situation inside the station, and coached individuals to make false claims against him. He rejected accusations of accepting bribes (including a claim by one man of paying Tk 30,000 to release an accused), taking money from brick kilns or related businesses, or dining at anyone’s invitation except official government programmes. He noted that brick kilns in the haor areas are underwater and said he does not attend private events.
On security, he stated that police maintained strict overall arrangements for all Durga Puja mandaps in the thana area. Personal gunman security for an MP is a separate matter that requires an application to the Superintendent of Police. He said it was not feasible for him to permanently assign a team to accompany her. The OC also accused the MP of frequently pressuring him not to arrest members of the banned Awami League organisations and claimed he had documented the disorder at the station. He instructed officers to record the exchanges.
During the confrontation, supporters argued with the OC, and hundreds of people outside chanted slogans in support of the MP and against the OC, creating tension in and around the police station. Local residents present also accused police of assault, bribery, and corruption in connection with earlier cases. The OC described the scene as “mob-like.”
Later on Friday, Prime Minister’s Assistant Rashed Khan claimed that MP Rumeen Farhana created a mob-like situation. BNP supporters, who label the MP as an Awami League sympathizer, also slandered her on Facebook for confronting the OC.
On the other hand, Rumeen Farhana shared news clippings of the OC’s involvement in crimes, his dismissal, and being named in a number of criminal cases.