Police have detained Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy, who identified himself as an “advisor to US President Joe Biden,” from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka today.
Arefy was detained this noon when he went to the airport to fly out to the United States, Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of the DMP, confirmed the development this afternoon.
Arefy was taken to the DB headquarters on Minto Road for questioning, he added.
BNP announces 3-day countrywide blockade from Tuesday
On Saturday, Arefi went to BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan and spoke to reporters, introducing himself as an “adviser to Biden.”
Sitting with BNP leader Ishraque Hossain, Arefy even went as far as to claim that the US president is “in full favor of restoration of the caretaker government.”
BNP man dies ‘while fleeing after attempting to set bus on fire’ in Dhaka
Arefy also bragged about his day-to-day contact with the US State Department and embassy officials in Bangladesh, and claimed that all key players within the US government back the opposition's movement.
Video of Arefy sitting at BNP office, surrounded by party leaders, was circulated on social media by pro BNP and Jamaat netizens claiming that Arefy, “on behalf of Biden,” came to BNP’s party office to support their cause to overthrow the government.
Police cordon off BNP's central office with crime scene tape