Purbachal plot allotment
In August 2019, Farhana became embroiled in controversy after her application to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works for a 10-katha or 7200 square feet plot in the Purbachal New Town Project was leaked to the public. In the application letter, she wrote, "I do not have any plot of land in Dhaka city. Therefore, I am requesting you to allot a 10-katha plot in Purbachal." [26]
This statement was widely criticized as misleading, as it appeared to contradict her 2018 election affidavit, which confirmed her ownership of an 1,850 square-foot flat in Dhaka. [26] The incident drew accusations of hypocrisy, with critics pointing out the perceived contradiction between her role as a vocal Awami League government critic and her application for a state-allocated asset. [27]
In response, Farhana defended her right as a parliamentarian to apply for the plot, stating it was a standard privilege. She attributed the controversial wording to her personal assistant who, she claimed, had drafted the letter. She also argued that the primary ethical breach was the leaking of her official application from a government ministry. Following the public outcry, Farhana ultimately withdrew her application. [28]
2025 Election Commission altercation and social media post
In August 2025, Farhana became embroiled in a high-profile controversy involving a physical altercation at the Election Commission (EC) and a subsequent derogatory social media post.
On August 24, 2025, during a public hearing at the EC headquarters in Dhaka on the delimitation of the Brahmanbaria-2 and Brahmanbaria-3 constituencies, a scuffle broke out between supporters of Farhana and members of the National Citizen's Party (NCP). [29] The altercation occurred in front of the Chief Election Commissioner and other officials. Farhana, who was present, later told reporters, "What didn't happen in 15 years, happened today—I was almost pushed down. The very BNP leaders and activists for whom I have fought for 15 years, they are the ones who pushed me." [30] In contrast, NCP leaders accused Farhana's followers of initiating the violence, with NCP chief organizer Hasnat Abdullah alleging it was a "test match" by the BNP to demonstrate how they might capture polling centers.
The dispute escalated when Hasnat Abdullah, in media comments following the incident, referred to Rumeen as "BNP's Awami League affairs secretary," a political jibe implying she was secretly working for the opposition's main rival. [31]
In response, Farhana took to her verified Facebook page and published a post targeting Abdullah. Sharing images of Abdullah with Awami League figures, she wrote, "Isn't this that fokinnir baccha (a vulgar Bengali pejorative translating to 'son of a beggar'), who called me the Awami League affairs secretary?" [32]
Her use of the term sparked immediate and widespread condemnation across social and mainstream media for its offensive nature. The incident was further amplified by online political commentators. Pinaki Bhattacharya, a France-based Bangladeshi blogger, released a video where he sharply criticized Farhana. In the video, titled "Munafiq (Hypocrite) Sheikh Ruminur Rahman," Bhattacharya accused Farhana of hypocrisy and questioned her political integrity in light of the incident and her past statements. In a subsequent development, Hasnat Abdullah issued a statement decrying the "cyberbullying" and "character assassination" directed at Farhana following her comment, calling for an end to personal attacks in politics. [33] The incident led to protests by both factions in Brahmanbaria, with Farhana's supporters blocking a highway and NCP members demanding her arrest. [34]
