Dhaka, Feb 3 (NationPress) As political disputes escalate in the lead-up to Bangladesh's February 12 elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused the radical Islamist organization Jamaat-e-Islami of manipulating historical facts. They cautioned that Jamaat might eventually claim that Ghulam Azam, the former leader of Jamaat, was the one who declared the nation's independence, according to local media.

During an event in Dhaka, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi raised concerns about Jamaat's intentions behind discussing the country's independence declaration.

“When the Pakistani forces committed atrocities against our mothers and sisters, you (Jamaat) failed to label those actions as oppression. You did not even recognize those brutalities as crimes. Instead, you endorsed and supported them,” quoted the BNP leader by Bangladeshi media outlet UNB.

In response to remarks made by Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman regarding the 1971 independence declaration in Chattogram, Rizvi stated, “Soon, you may even claim that Ghulam Azam himself proclaimed independence. You can say that too, as you never hesitate to fabricate lies.”

The BNP leader suggested that Shafiqur Rahman's focus on the independence declaration was an attempt to divert attention from his controversial and derogatory comments about women, which have provoked national outrage.

On the previous day, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman vehemently criticized Jamaat for its disparaging remarks about women, stating that such views threaten women's safety and fundamental rights in the nation, as reported by local media.

This controversy arose after Shafiqur Rahman recently posted on the social media platform X, asserting that women forced out of their homes in the name of modernity face exploitation, moral decay, and insecurity, labeling it as “another form of prostitution,” which ignited widespread condemnation.

“Those who disrespect the women of our country and use derogatory language against them cannot be considered patriotic or people-oriented. A political party aims to confine mothers and sisters to their homes prior to the elections, making scandalous comments about their employment. The people of this country are at risk from those who cannot even respect their own women,” quoted Bonik Barta, a Bengali daily, with Tarique addressing a rally in Khulna.

Bangladesh is currently experiencing rising political tensions as the February 12 election approaches.

Parties that previously collaborated with the interim government's Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus to unseat the democratically elected government of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, are now engaged in a fierce power struggle for the upcoming election.