BNP questions Jamaat Ameer's hacking claim after misogynistic X post

BNP Chairperson’s Adviser and Election Steering Committee Spokesperson Dr. Mahdi Amin has expressed skepticism over Jamaat-e-Islami’s claim that its Amir’s X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked following a controversial post about women, calling the explanation “unconvincing” and “delayed.”

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Election Steering Committee office in Gulshan on Sunday (February 1), Dr. Mahdi Amin said that if the comments attributed to the Jamaat Amir were genuine, they would be “deeply disappointing for the nation” and reflective of “medieval barbarity.”

He questioned why Jamaat took nearly nine hours to deny the post, saying an immediate clarification should have been issued if the account had indeed been hacked. “Instead, after facing nationwide outrage, Jamaat filed a general diary at Hatirjheel Police Station around 3:00 am,” he said.

Dr. Mahdi Amin also described as alarming recent remarks made by the Jamaat Amir on women’s empowerment in an Al Jazeera interview. He said Jamaat’s recent statements and conduct reveal a consistent misogynistic mindset, citing an earlier incident involving offensive remarks about female students at Dhaka University by a Jamaat leader.

He claimed that Jamaat did not nominate any women candidates in the current election and that the party Amir himself has acknowledged that a woman cannot lead the party. “Yet their female activists are going door to door seeking votes—this is blatant hypocrisy,” he said.

Dr. Mahdi Amin further alleged that Jamaat’s so-called “bot army” has been harassing BNP women leaders both online and offline and subjecting Chhatra Dal activists to cyberbullying.

Emphasising women’s contribution to the economy, he said women play a vital role in sectors such as education and the garment industry. He also highlighted the significant role women played during the 1971 Liberation War and the July mass uprising, stressing that Jamaat’s attitude toward women is unacceptable.