Central Publicity Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Advocate Matiur Rahman Akanda has issued the following statement on 18 April 2020 protesting and gainsaying the false report of Bengali daily Ittefaq titled 'নিম্নমানের মাস্ক জামায়াত নেতার প্রতিষ্ঠানের' (Jamaat leaders company prepares substandard masks). 

“The aforesaid report, published in Daily Ittefaq implicating Jamaat-e-Islami is completely false, fabricated and politically motivated. I am vehemently condemning this report. Jamaat has no connection or link with alleged company namely ‘JMI group’. The report also defined this company as the donor of Jamaat-e-Islami, which is also not true.

Without quoting the name of the businessman, the report has been published based on some inconsistent information. This report is nothing but a fictional story of the reporter. Regarding the report’s claim, our view is, no leader or activist of Jamaat-e-Islami has any link with this institution. We sincerely think, whoever commits any crime, he must be brought to the book. The report failed to mention the trader’s name but branded him as the donor of Jamaat-e-Islami. As such, it is proved that this report is completely politically motivated.

The reporter has made this report as he became envious about Jamaat-e-Islami and its historic role of taking stand by the side of the people during this coronavirus outbreak. The people have come shocked and surprised to see such a fictitious report in a notable daily like Ittefaq.

I hope that the authority of Daily Ittefaq would be refrained from publishing such untrue report in future. I further expect that they would publish this rejoinder properly to lessen mass confusion.