BNP questions credibility of Jamaat ameer’s hacking claim after 9 hrs
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Sunday questioned the credibility of Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman’s claim that his verified X account had been hacked, noting that the claim came nearly nine hours after a controversial post widely criticised as misogynistic.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s election coordination committee office in Gulshan, committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said it was reasonable to question how an account could be hacked at 4:55 pm but the claim only surfaced around 12:40 am, after public criticism had intensified.
Mahdi Amin said that when a verified or high-profile account is hacked, the primary responsibility is to inform the public immediately to prevent confusion.
“In this case, the hacking claim appeared only after public outrage spread,” he said, adding that no such clarification was posted on the Jamaat ameer’s Facebook account during that period, despite multiple posts being made there.
Mahdi Amin said the BNP firmly stands for women’s dignity, equality and personal freedom, stressing that the language attributed to the Jamaat ameer reflected an openly misogynistic mindset unacceptable in any civilised society.
He said the disputed post, published at 4:37 pm on 31 January, suggested that women being encouraged to step outside their homes in the name of modernity leads to exploitation, moral decay and insecurity, comparing it to another form of prostitution.
Mahdi Amin said similar negative remarks on women’s empowerment had previously been made by the Jamaat ameer in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Referring to past incidents, he said Jamaat leaders had repeatedly used offensive language against female university students, opposed women’s leadership, and made regressive statements such as calling for reduced working hours for women.
He also noted that Jamaat had not nominated a single woman as a parliamentary candidate, despite claiming to promote justice.
Mahdi Amin alleged that women leaders from several parties were forced to resign due to alliances involving Jamaat, while BNP women candidates were facing harassment both online and offline during election campaigning.
He said the scale and nature of cyberbullying against women activists, including members of the BNP’s student wing, indicated a coordinated political effort.
Highlighting women’s contributions to society, he cited their roles in education, healthcare, law enforcement, the judiciary, administration, academia, journalism, sports and social movements, including the Liberation War and the July mass uprising.
“The BNP will not accept any injustice, oppression or violence against women,” Mahdi Amin said. “Just as a mother gives birth to the nation, the nation itself is our mother.”
BNP media cell convener Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Jubo Dal president Abdul Monayem Munna, Swechchhasebak Dal senior vice-president Yasin Ali, among others, were present at the press conference.