Jamaat claimed ameer's X account hacked only after public outrage: BNP

The BNP has raised questions on the credibility of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's claim that Ameer Shafiqur Rahman's verified X account was hacked after a post circulating on social media with remarks on women sparked criticism.

"It is a standard practice to immediately inform the public if a verified account is hacked. However, in this case, the hacking claim was made nearly nine hours later, only after public outrage intensified," said Mahdi Amin, spokesperson for the Election Management Committee, at a press conference today (1 February) at the party's Gulshan office.

He further said multiple posts appeared on the ameer's Facebook account during this period, but none mentioned the alleged hacking.

Mahdi Amin further noted that a General Diary (GD) was filed at Hatirjheel Police Station at around 3:30am, despite the GD stating that the hacking was discovered at 4:55pm the previous day. He questioned why there was a delay of nearly 12 hours and how credible the claim was that the account was recovered shortly after the hacking announcement.

The BNP's comments come after a post from Shafiqur Rahman's X handle that started circulating on social media showing remarks on women which sparked outrage, following which Jamaat claimed the account was hacked.

The post reads, "On the question of women, Jamaat's position is neither confused nor apologetic-it is principled. We do not think, women should come in the leadership. In Jamaat, it is impossible. Allah did not permit this."

The now-deleted post further reads, "We believe that when women are pushed out of the home in the name of modernity, they are exposed to exploitation, moral decay, and insecurity. It's nothing but another form of prostitution. Social media vulgarity, workplace harassment, and commodification of women are not signs of progress-they are symptoms of moral collapse.

"We refuse to compromise with immorality, no matter how fashionable it becomes," it says.

Mahdi, also adviser to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, condemned the language used in the post stating that such remarks reflect "clear misogyny and are unacceptable in a civilised society". 

He also referred to the Jamaat ameer's recent Al Jazeera interview where the subject of women leadership in the party was discussed.

He argued that this incident aligns with Jamaat's past behavior, citing the party's lack of female parliamentary candidates, public opposition to women holding top leadership positions, and repeated derogatory remarks by its leaders about women. 

He also alleged that women from alliance parties have faced pressure, harassment, and restrictions, including criticism of clothing during election campaigns.

Mahdi Amin reaffirmed the BNP's position in support of women's dignity, freedom, and equal rights, stating that BNP will not compromise, offline or online, on protecting women from harassment and misogyny.