A man who identified himself as US President Joe Biden’s adviser was apprehended by police today as he was clearly leaving Bangladesh, one day after his questionable attendance at the BNP central office. The individual also promised the opposition that the Biden administration would back a change of government in Bangladesh.
Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy was identified by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) joint commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar as “Immigration Police have arrested him as he reached the airport to leave the country.”
He was taken from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the DMP’s detective branch for an initial questioning and possible legal action, according to the police.
Arefy was seen talking to newsmen sitting beside BNP leader Ishraque Hossain at the party’s Nayapaltan central office late yesterday at a press briefing.
The man was heard saying that he was in constant touch with Biden being a “member of the national democratic committee” and assured the opposition of US President’s support to ensure regime change in Bangladesh.
“I am a member of the national democratic committee . . . we have a hot connection . . . Joe Biden and I exchange text message 10 to 15 times a day,” he was heard saying in English when some junior party leaders were also present.
He asserted that all significant figures in the US government support the opposition’s drive to topple the government and that he has regular, intimate interactions with representatives of the US State Department and US Embassy in Dhaka.
Arefy was rejected earlier today by the US embassy in Dhaka, which stated that “this gentleman does not speak for the US government and is a private individual.” The senior leadership of the BNP also made a point of separating themselves from Arefy.
“He is a phony,” foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said as asked for comments on Arefy after the US embassy issued its comments.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, meanwhile, called Arefy’s pretention as an act of “BNP’s fraudulence” and added “according to our information he is an Israeli agent”.
