BNP claims Indian daily misrepresented Mirza Fakhrul interview

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has strongly objected to what it calls the misrepresentation of its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s interview published in the Indian daily newspaper Ei Samay.

In a press release issued today by BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan, the party stated that the interview was presented inaccurately, creating confusion among readers.

Mirza Fakhrul himself has clarified that he did not make the statements attributed to him in the Ei Samay interview. Despite multiple Bangladeshi media outlets publishing reports based on the interview under varying headlines, the BNP maintains these reports are false and misleading.

The party condemned the publication of such misleading news and urged the public to remain cautious. Furthermore, Mirza Fakhrul appealed to journalists to avoid disseminating confusing or incorrect information.

The report, published in various media, centred Fakhrul's comments on the Awami League and Jatiyo Party's participation in the national polls as per the Indian newspaper Ei Samay's interview. Fakhrul said, "We have said that the Awami League and all its allies, even the Jatiya Party, should take part in the election. Let there be a fair and free vote."

The interview asked regarding Jamaat asking for 50 seats. To this, Fakhrul responded, "They asked for 30. We showed no enthusiasm. We mentioned a much smaller number, which they didn't like. But I assure you, we will not allow Jamaat to climb on our shoulders anymore. They are not that big a force, we gave them more importance than they deserved. All this PR–TR talk is just a tactic to pressure BNP."