Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party in Bangladesh, has refuted claims made during interviews with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu. The party alleges that journalists from Prothom Alo and Independent TV falsely attributed a statement to them concerning the US stance on Bangladesh’s upcoming January 7 national elections.
In a press release signed by BNP’s Senior Joint-Secretary General, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the party stated, “The question posed to Assistant Secretary Lu, which suggested that BNP claimed the United States had softened its position on the 12th National Parliamentary election due to India’s mediation, was entirely untrue, misleading, and baseless.”
The BNP emphasized that no member of their leadership has ever made such a statement or comment. “Such a question not only misleads the public but also seeks to discredit our party,” Rizvi added.
The party criticized the journalists involved for potentially tarnishing the credibility of their respective news organizations with what it termed as ‘fabricated’ journalism. The statement from the BNP highlighted the serious implications of such reporting: “It sows confusion among the public and undermines the journalistic integrity of these media outlets.”
Amidst the political and social challenges currently facing the country, the BNP reaffirmed its commitment to fighting for the restoration of people’s rights, freedom of expression, and justice while opposing what it describes as the current misrule. The party concluded its statement by condemning the alleged misrepresentation and expressing its firm objection to the ‘fabricated’ allegations made by the two media outlets.