The Multifaceted Lawyer

Rumeen Farhana

Photo: Prabir Das

Managing the profession of a lawyer surely takes a lot of work. However, it takes a special drive to handle three!  Rumeen Farhana, being a lawyer, an editor and a politician, has proved to the nation that there is no stopping our country's young blood in achieving dreams.  In the past couple of years, her regular presence in talk shows has put her in the limelight as a young thinker of our country.

From a very early age, Farhana had made up her mind to become a politician. "Growing up in a political family, I was able to see this side very up close and personal," she says. Her father was a renowned politician Oli Ahad, who was also a part of the language movement. "Through most of my childhood I had seen my father going in and out of jail. I think I was one of the very few to have visited the Dhaka Central Jail at the age of five," says Farhana. After completing her SSC and HSC from Holy Cross School and Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Farhana completed her Bachelors in Law from the University of London.

"I went through the worst time of my life while studying law. When I went to London for my BAR exam, my father got really sick, which was really hard for me as I was really close to him," says Rumeen.  After 11 years in the world of Law, Rumeen Farhana now serves as a barrister at the High Court.

"The first few years have been quite hectic as a lawyer. I remember starting out with a 500tk salary," says Rumeen Farhana. Often she had to sacrifice her needs because of the low pay. Her years of hard work, however, is paying off as Farhana is opening her own chamber soon.

Though fighting cases and debating on talk shows showcases her as a very serious person, Rumeen Farhana has a softer side of which only a handful are aware of. She is very fond of Gazals and also has a degree in dancing. "I was a student of BAFA for four years and I also learned Kathak from the maestro Shibli Mohammad himself," she says. She is also the editor of the newspaper which her father had started – 'Ittehad'.

Other than serving as a full time lawyer and editor, her love towards the country serves as a motivation for her political career. "You cannot lead a nation unless you are in the driving seat. I think politics is one of the most effective ways through which you can create changes," says Rumeen. She also adds, "To get the youth involved, we need to have politicians who can inspire them – similar to how people were inspired during the language movement." 

"There are times when I come home at 2 am from talk shows," says Rumeen Farhana. "The only reason I am able to do this is I know I have a sturdy support system backing me up – which happens to be my family."