Jamaat in hot water with misogynistic post from ameer’s X handle

A misogynistic post about working women, published from the verified X account of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman, prompted nationwide protests, rival political criticism and a police cyber investigation amid Jamaat’s claim that the account had been hacked.

The post was published from Shafiqur’s X handle on Saturday which quickly spread on social media. Later that night, Jamaat’s election management committee member Sirajul Islam filed a general diary (GD) with Hatirjheel police station. As per the GD, Shafiqur’s X account was hacked.

On Sunday, Jamaat reiterated this claim at a press briefing at its central office in Moghbazar.

The party’s Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair alleged a “deep conspiracy” by a “special group” to tarnish Jamaat’s image.

He said the party would report the incident to the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies and insisted that Jamaat maintained a clear position on respecting women.

At the briefing, Sirajul presented “documentary evidence” showing the post was made at 4:37pm while Shafiqur was addressing an election rally in Keraniganj.

He claimed the party’s IT team detected the issue shortly afterward, terminated the compromised device session, changed the password and reported the incident to X.

However, following the post, students from Dhaka University and Jagannath University, along with various student organisations including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and left-leaning groups, staged demonstrations across the country demanding accountability and a public apology. 

Female students at both universities brought out “broom processions”, holding rallies that described Shafiqur’s remarks as objectionable and demeaning to women’s dignity.

The protestors held rallies at Dhaka University’s Anti-Terrorism Raju Sculpture and Jagannath University’s Shanto Chattar.

Speakers at the rallies said derogatory remarks about working women were unacceptable and demanded a public apology from the Jamaat ameer. Protestors also called for a response through the ballot in the next election.

Addressing a rally at Dhaka University under the banner “Broom Procession in Protest of the Insult of Working Women”, Chhatra Federation leader Seema Akter said women were routinely bullied online whenever women’s rights were discussed. 

She alleged that leaders and activists of a particular political party attacked women through fake and bot accounts.

Samajtantrik Chhatra Front President Mukta Barai questioned Jamaat’s claim and said there was an attempt to dismiss the ameer’s remarks by blaming hackers and demanding proof before the public.

At Jagannath University, Farzana Akter Tumpa, literary and cultural secretary of Jagannath University Women’s Hall Parliament and president of the hall unit of Chhatra Dal, said “comparing working women to prostitution” was an insult to women and undermined human dignity.

Khadijatul Kubra, joint convener of the university unit of Chhatra Dal, described the remarks as shameful for a person holding such a position.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin also questioned the logic of Jamaat’s claim. 

He asked how an account could be described as hacked hours after the post had already drawn widespread criticism.

Student leaders at rallies echoed the skepticism and demanded proof. They warned that such remarks could not be dismissed as isolated incidents.

Dhaka University Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir said it was not the account but the mindset that stood exposed. He urged voters to respond to the issue through the ballot.

Meanwhile, the Cyber Security and Support Centre of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the hacking allegation.

Joint Commissioner Syed Harun Or Rashid told the Daily Sun that the probe began after the GD was filed, The authorities were first trying to verify whether the account had indeed been hacked, he said.

The disputed post continues to fuel political tension as the election campaign enters a critical phase, with protesters insisting on accountability and Jamaat maintaining that the controversy stems from a coordinated cyber-attack.