Jamaat rejects 'forged' letter on India protests, alleges smear campaign

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday dismissed as "forged and fraudulent" a letter circulating on social media that purportedly expressed support for the ongoing student movement in India, accusing unnamed actors of orchestrating a campaign to discredit the party.

In a statement, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and Central Media and Publicity Secretary Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said the document, addressed "To the Brave Students Leading the Ongoing Movement in India," did not originate from the party.

The statement said the letter contained several signs of forgery, including a misspelling of the party's name on its own letterhead, the absence of Jamaat's official registered address and the lack of a reference number, which it said is mandatory on all official correspondence. It also said the layout did not match the party's authentic letterhead.

Jamaat reiterated that it has a longstanding policy of not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, saying the contents of the circulated letter were "entirely inconsistent" with its official position.

The party alleged that the forged document was created by a "vested quarter" with the deliberate intention of creating public confusion, tarnishing Jamaat's image and credibility, and harming its relations with domestic and international stakeholders.

It strongly condemned what it described as a malicious act of forgery and urged social media users to stop sharing the document.

The party also called on media organizations to verify any statement attributed to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami directly with its central office before publication and demanded that those behind what it called the propaganda campaign cease their activities immediately.