Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Assistant Secretary General and Head of its Central Publicity & Media Department Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair issued a statement on 23 November expressing strong condemnation and protest over the distorted publication of some remarks of Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman in Daily Ittefaq and Manabzamin,
In the statement, he said: On 22 November, in response to a question from journalists at the Chattogram Parade Ground, Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “If a referendum is held on election day, there is a possibility of election genocide.”

But Daily Ittefaq and Manabzamin intentionally removed the word “election” from the statement and mentioned only “genocide.” As a result, public confusion has arisen. I strongly condemn and protest this distortion and malicious propaganda.

Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, citing reports from other newspapers, said that the same statement was published accurately and verbatim in Daily Naya Diganta, Amar Desh, and other media outlets. He further said that the video of the Jamaat Ameer’s statement is preserved with us, which anyone can watch to verify the actual facts. This proves that Daily Ittefaq and Manabzamin deliberately distorted the statement of Dr. Shafiqur Rahman with the intention of misleading the public, which is an act that is unethical, undesirable, and unwarranted.

I hope that both newspapers will publish this rejoinder prominently to dispel the confusion created among the public and will express proper regret.