NCP leader Jannat Ara Rumi found dead in Dhaka hostel

The National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Jannat Ara Rumi was found dead in a student hostel in the capital's Hazaribagh, police confirmed.

Rumi, 32, was the daughter of Md. Zakir Hossain and Nurjahan Begum, hailed from Nazirpur under Patnitola Upazila of Naogaon.

She was the joint coordinator of the National Citizens Party’s Dhaka Metropolitan South (Dhanmondi branch) Coordination Committee.

According to SI Md. Kamruzzaman of Hazaribagh Police Station, Rumi’s body was discovered on the fifth floor of Jigatala Jannat Student Hostel on Thursday morning. Her body was subsequently recovered and sent to the morgue.

Delwar Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC-operation) of Hazaribagh Police Station, said, "The case is being treated as a suspected suicide, but a full investigation will determine the exact circumstances."

Following the recovery of Rumi’s body, the National Citizen Party (NCP) Central Joint Secretary Tarek Reza posted on his verified Facebook page around 11:30am, claiming political motives behind her death.

According to Reza, last month, on the day of the verdict against ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Rumi reportedly confronted and handed over to police a member of the banned Awami League at Dhanmondi 32.

Reza alleged that since that incident, Rumi had been subjected to cyberbullying, threats of murder, and sexual assault by Awami League supporters.

He further claimed that these threats led Rumi to commit suicide, though in his Facebook post, Reza insisted, “We do not accept this as suicide. It is murder. We will not allow those who destroyed my sister’s life to live in peace.”