'Worse than 15 months in jail': Khadijatul Kubra says on online attacks

Khadijatul Kubra, general secretary (GS) candidate from the JCD and Chhatra Odhikar Parishad-backed panel in the Jagannath University Central Students' Union (JnUcsu) polls, has said that defamation campaigns, online harassment, and mounting pressure have left her more mentally distressed than the 15 months she spent in jail under now-repealed Digital Security Act.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Kubra said she had never faced allegations before joining student politics, but within a month, she had been subjected to online bashing from fake accounts and defamatory comments.

She further claimed that individuals identifying themselves as journalists have repeatedly called her with misleading questions, false accusations, and undue pressure. "When one of them fails to provoke me, another person beside him starts dictating what he should say," she wrote.

Calling on journalists to remain ethical, Kubra said promoting the agenda of any political group goes against journalistic principles.

Her post also referred to the controversy surrounding a charity concert for Mohammad Noor Nabi, a JnU student of the Finance department, battling cancer. During the event, Kubra announced a donation of Tk 50,000 for his treatment, sparking debate as the Election Commission had barred candidates from going on stage.

Kubra said she joined politics to bring positive change, but the continuous attacks and character assassination explain why many women hesitate to enter politics.

In a later comment, she clarified her criticism was directed only at journalists she accused of serving a political agenda.

She vowed to continue standing by oppressed and vulnerable people. "Even if this journey costs me my life, I will not step back," she wrote.