Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Sunday said false and misleading information was being circulated on social media regarding his views and the party’s position on women.
He made the remarks in a post from his verified Facebook account, stating that the clarification was intended to address misinformation and refocus attention on Jamaat-e-Islami’s stated policies.
“False and misleading content is being circulated on social media to misrepresent our position. I am sharing this to clarify our values and refocus the discussion on our policies,” he wrote.
Dr Shafiqur said the party’s manifesto had been clear from the outset, emphasising women’s active and dignified participation in education, healthcare, administration, entrepreneurship and public service.
“We are committed to uninterrupted education for girls, safe campuses, zero tolerance for harassment, women-centric healthcare in every district, equal pay, safe workplaces, childcare support and skills training for decent employment,” the post said.
He also reiterated support for women’s leadership in politics and local government, economic empowerment of rural women, strong legal protections and social dignity, saying these positions were long-standing and had been publicly articulated earlier, including at a policy summit on January 20.
“These are not responses to rumours or online pressure, but a reflection of a consistent view. Judge me by my record, policies and manifesto, not by false narratives,” he wrote, adding that his manifesto would be formally released on February 3.
The clarification comes a day after a controversial post was shared from the Jamaat ameer’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday afternoon, drawing widespread criticism for insulting women. Jamaat-e-Islami later claimed that the account had been hacked.
The post read: “We believe that when women are pushed out of the house in the name of modernity, they face exploitation, moral degradation and insecurity. This is actually another form of prostitution.”
Sirajul Islam, a member of the party’s election management committee, said Jamaat’s cyber team recovered the account shortly after 5pm and subsequently removed the post. He added that a general diary (GD) was filed with Hatirjheel Police Station on Saturday night seeking action to prevent the spread of what the party described as propaganda.