BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has rejected a headline published by Kolkata-based daily Ei Samay, which quoted him as questioning why India places BNP and Jamaat “in the same bracket.”

Fakhrul said he never made that statement, though the interview did highlight his criticism of India for adopting the Awami League’s narrative.

“BNP is a secular, centrist democratic party. Jamaat and BNP’s politics are not the same. We fought against anti-liberation forces, and our leftist allies remain with us,” Fakhrul clarified.

Meanwhile, Jamaat has condemned as “false and vindictive” another claim in the report—that the party pressured BNP for more seats in past elections.