<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>BNP on Friday alleged that journalists from two media outlets falsely cited the party while questioning US Assistant Secretary Donal Lu about his country’s stance on Bangladesh’s last national election.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a statement signed by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, it said, “The question asked by Prothom Alo and Independent TV Channel during interviews with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, citing BNP, is entirely untrue, misleading, and baseless.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The party also stated that such an ‘absurd’ question was posed with the intention to humiliate BNP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;“The question states—'An opposition party in Bangladesh, BNP, has alleged that the United States has softened its stance on the 12th National Parliamentary election influenced by India's mediation'. No leader of BNP at any level has ever made such a comment or speech anywhere,” the statement clarified.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The party said publishing such a ‘fabricated’ statement creates a great deal of misunderstanding. “Such an unrealistic question from journalists working in popular news media such as Prothom Alo and Independent TV tarnish the reputation of the respective institutions.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the people of the country are currently crushed by the terrible misrule, it said the BNP leaders and activists are fighting for the restoration of the rights of the people of the country by risking their lives and enduring jail, tyranny, and oppression, reports UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The party said it is committed to protecting the independence and sovereignty of the country and establishing people's rights, freedom of expression, and justice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The misleading question that has been asked citing BNP is not appropriate. It creates confusion in the public mind. BNP protests against this false and fabricated statement (by two media outlets).”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd/fas</div>