A now-deleted X post from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s verified account, equating women’s participation in the workforce to “another form of prostitution,” has unleashed a storm of criticism, protests, and political condemnation.
Posted on January 31, the remark—framed as a critique of “modernity” pushing women out of homes—drew swift backlash for its misogynistic tone, prompting Jamaat to claim the account was hacked. However, sceptics, including opposition leaders and online users, have labelled the explanation a “convenient excuse,” especially given the party’s long-standing conservative views on women.
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The post, which read: “We believe that when women are pushed out of the home in the name of modernity, they face exploitation, moral decay, and insecurity. This is actually another form of prostitution,” remained online for hours before being removed. Jamaat’s cyber team reportedly recovered the account within 45 minutes, a timeline that has fueled doubts.
In a press conference on February 1, party spokesperson Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer accused a “specific political group” of orchestrating the hack to tarnish Jamaat’s image ahead of the February 12 elections. He claimed those who “immediately announced protest programs” were involved, without naming suspects.
Dr. Shafiqur himself addressed the uproar in a February 1 speech in Sherpur, apologising to “mothers who were hurt” by the “vulgar post” but blaming “low-class elements” who “do not respect mothers.” He reiterated the hack narrative, stating his team had traced the breach and vowed no leniency for “fascists.” In a clarifying Facebook post on February 1, he outlined Jamaat’s “commitment” to women’s empowerment, including education, healthcare, equal pay, and safe workplaces—insisting these are longstanding policies, not a response to the controversy. He promised to release his manifesto on February 3, emphasising women’s “central role” in nation-building.
However, critics point to Jamaat’s entrenched patriarchal ideology as evidence that the post aligns with the party’s ethos. Historically, Jamaat has barred women from top leadership roles, viewing female ameers as contrary to Quranic teachings. On February 1, the party’s women’s wing secretary, Principal Nurnesa Siddika, affirmed: “Women’s leadership contradicts the Quran. We joined politics knowing we can’t reach the top positions—empowerment is key, not leadership.” The party fielded no female candidates in the upcoming polls, despite claims of active women’s involvement in campaigning.
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The scandal echoes Dr. Shafiqur’s recent Al Jazeera interview on January 29, where he explicitly stated women could “never” lead Jamaat due to “God-given differences.” He argued: “Allah made everyone in its own entity. You [a man] will never be able to bear a child… We will never be able to breastfeed. There are physical constraints that cannot be denied.” He defended proposals to reduce women’s working hours from eight to five, citing motherhood duties, while downplaying Bangladesh’s history of female prime ministers as “very few countries.” The interview, conducted by Sreenivasan Jain, has resurfaced amid the X controversy, amplifying accusations of systemic misogyny.
On social media, the post triggered a deluge of outrage. Netizens highlighted Jamaat’s quick recovery and women’s membership claims, questioned the hack timeline, noting typical X recoveries take days without suspensions, called the remarks “deeply offensive and dangerous,” urged rejection of such mindsets, and lamented that Jamaat rejects women’s leadership—this is fact.
The backlash spilt onto the streets. On February 1, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-affiliated Chhatra Dal staged a protest march at Dhaka University (DU), chanting slogans like “Shafiq, do you know? Half the country’s strength is women” and “Shafiq, apologise—women are not prostitutes.”
Led by figures like Rakibul Islam Rakib and Nasir Uddin Nasir, protesters demanded a public apology, threatening larger actions if ignored. Rakib warned: “If Jamaat gains any power, it’s a threat to the entire nation, not just women.” Nasir mocked the hack claim: “His account wasn’t hacked—his mind was.”
Similar “broom marches“—symbolising sweeping away misogyny—erupted at DU, Jagannath University (JnU), and Mirpur. At DU’s Raju Sculpture, female student leaders from various groups rallied, declaring: “Insulting working women is unacceptable.” JnU’s protest, attended by Chhatra Dal’s Farjana Akter Tumpa and Khadijatul Kubra, condemned the remarks as “shameful” and “degrading,” highlighting women’s economic contributions from teaching to garment work.
In Mirpur, working women confronted Jamaat campaigners, with police intervening to prevent clashes. Protesters like Sima Akter decried online bullying by “fake and bot accounts” from a “specific political party.”
BNP leadership amplified the condemnation. On January 29, advisor Dr. Mahdi Amin called the post “medieval barbarism” and “disappointing for the nation” in a press conference. He questioned the hack’s nine-hour delay before acknowledgement, suggesting it was retracted only amid public fury. Amin accused Jamaat of hypocrisy: “They use women for campaigns but deny them nominations or leadership.” He highlighted ongoing harassment of BNP women by Jamaat’s “bot armies” and referenced the 1971 Liberation War and the 2024 uprising heroics by women.
Jamaat maintains the post was sabotaged, filing a police complaint on January 31. Yet, with doubts lingering over the “45-minute recovery,” the controversy underscores tensions between Jamaat’s Islamist roots and Bangladesh’s push for gender equality.
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