BNP protests a question to Donald Lu during interview

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has refuted the claim that they alleged the United States softened its stance on the recent 12th national polls under Indian influence. 

On behalf of the party, its senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued a protest letter on Friday. 

Prothom Alo and Independent Television published an interview with US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, on 16 May. 

A question of the interview was – “The opposition BNP in Bangladesh claims that, influenced by Indian mediation, the US has softened its stance on the 12th parliamentary election. What is your take on those claims made by BNP leaders?” 

In the protest letter, Rizvi said, “The question asked by the journalists citing BNP is completely false, misleading, and baseless. Such an absurd question has been made to humiliate the party. No BNP leader of any level has ever made such a comment or given such a speech anywhere." 

He also argued that such imaginary statements create significant misunderstandings and tarnish the reputation of respective media outlets.

The letter also noted that the BNP leaders and activists are putting their lives at stake and undergoing imprisonment, torture, and harassment to ensure people’s rights and freedom. 

It mentioned the party’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the country's independence, sovereignty, rights of citizens, freedom of expression, and justice.