Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman has issued a post on his verified Facebook page clarifying matters related to an interview he gave to the international news agency Reuters.
Shafiqur Rahman made the post at 9:19 am on Thursday. He gave the interview to Reuters yesterday, Wednesday.
The text of Shafiqur Rahman’s Facebook post is reproduced verbatim below:
“In an interview given yesterday to the international media outlet Reuters, a Reuters journalist asked me whether, given that India is our neighbouring country, we have any contact with them, whether there are any discussions or meetings.
I replied that after I fell ill in the middle of last year and returned home following medical treatment, many people from within the country and abroad came to meet me. Just as respected diplomats from other countries visited me, two Indian diplomats also came to see me at my residence at that time. As with others, I spoke with them as well.
During our discussions, we told them that we had publicised the visits of all diplomats who came to see me. We also want to publicise your visit. At that point, they requested me not to do so. We told them that whenever there is a meeting with you in the future on issues related to the interests of the two countries, it will certainly be publicised. There is nothing confidential about this.
I am surprised that some domestic media outlets have reported that a secret meeting took place between the Jamaat ameer and India. I strongly condemn such reporting and call upon those concerned to refrain in the future from publishing such misleading news without knowing the true facts.”