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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has accused Jamaat-e-Islami of deceiving people by invoking religion in electoral politics, saying claims that voting for a particular symbol guarantees heaven amount to outright falsehoods.
The sheaf of paddy candidate for Thakurgaon-1 raised these allegations while addressing a campaign rally in Nargun Union on Wednesday, bdnews24.com reports.
He said the BNP believes in work rather than mudslinging, adding that Jamaat was once an ally but has now returned to electoral politics with misleading narratives.
The veteran politician said anyone can take part in politics, but urged Jamaat leaders not to “lie or engage in backbiting”.
He avoided commenting on their specific candidates but took issue with the party itself, mentioning that many religious scholars, specifically Charmonai Pir, have clarified that Jamaat is not a truly Islamic organisation.
Fakhrul asserted that Jamaat is using the name of Islam to “defraud and mislead” the public.
"Our ordinary mothers and sisters are being misled with the idea that voting for the ‘weighing scales' [Jamaat's symbol] will grant them entry to heaven," he said.
He added that no Muslim would believe such a claim, as salvation depends entirely on one's deeds and is determined solely by Allah.
Turning his attention to recent social media activity, Fakhrul referenced a controversy involving the Jamaat chief.
"For the past few days, there has been a lot of talk on television and mobile phones. Among them is a report that the Jamaat Ameer has made indecent remarks about women. Have you seen them?" he asked the crowd.
He said Islamic teachings place the highest respect on mothers, reminding the audience that paradise is said to lie beneath a mother’s feet.
Fakhrul questioned how anyone who failed to respect women or spoke crudely about them could expect moral standing or spiritual reward.