Dhaka, Oct. 1 -- Former Students Against Discrimination movement coordinator Umama Fatema has accused Islami Chhatra Shibir and its allies of co-opting the "spontaneous" July Uprising, allowing people with little connection to previous political struggles to emerge as leaders.

"During the July movement, all student organisations were excluded and people from the Shibir and Chhatra Shakti clique [secret Shibir] were included in the coordinators' committee," she wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday night.

"That is why, after Aug 5, every Tom, Dick and Harry came along and became all-powerful."

Umama made the remarks after Shibir acknowledged that Rajshahi University Central Central Students Council (RUCSU) General Secretary Salahuddin Am...