Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman on Monday described working women as mothers and sisters and said that his party would ensure the safety and dignity of women even at the cost of its leaders’ and activists’ lives.

He made the remarks while addressing an election rally as the chief guest at the Chattogram Port College ground in the evening.

The Jamaat chief said that attempts had been made to malign him by hacking his social media account and spreading ‘obscene content’ in his name.

Those responsible for the misdeed had already been identified and the forces behind them would also be exposed, he said.

Referring to repression on Jamaat leaders and activists, he said that persecution against the party had begun on October 28, 2006, during the Awami League-led political unrest.

After coming to power through ‘the back door’, the Awami League carried out widespread repression, for which the party had already paid part of the price, he said.

He claimed that Jamaat remained patient during the repression.

After that, he said, his party stood beside families of those killed, and supported flood-affected people, while leaders and activists of another political party engaged themselves in extortion and land grabbing.

Despite repeated requests to stop extortion and violence, that party continued such activities and more than 230 of its own members were killed due to internal conflicts, he said.

That party has now targeted Jamaat supporters and women, he alleged and accused that party of threatening and harassing women.

Referring to the ‘red card’ shown by students, Shafiqur said that young people from the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union to the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union had rejected extortionists, perpetrators of violence against women, and those involved in filing false cases.

He said that allegations, intimidation, and threats would not stop Jamaat from its political movement.

He said that his party aimed to build a just and fair Bangladesh based on divine principles.

Earlier in the day, Shafiqur addressed an election rally at the Padua ACM High School ground of Lohagara upazila in Chattogram as the chief guest. He later attended another rally in Sitakunda in the afternoon.