BNP’s Aslam arrested in Dhaka over ‘Israel plot’ to overthrow Hasina regime

Newly promoted BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury has been arrested for his suspected link to a ‘conspiracy with Israel' to topple the incumbent Bangladesh government.

He came under spotlight recently after a Bangladesh daily ran a report on a meeting between him and Israel’s ruling Likud party leader Mendi N Safadi in India along with a photo of the two.

The DMP’s Detective Branch (DB) Joint Commissioner Abdul Baten confirmed bdnews24.com that Aslam was nabbed in Dhaka on Sunday evening.

The BNP joint secretary general was on his way to Narayanganj when police stopped his car on the ‘300-feet Kurhil-Purbachol link road’ at Khilkhet and detained him, a DB official said.

The official said Aslam’s driver and another person were also detained at the time.

From there, they were taken to the DB’s Minto Road office.

The DMP’s Deputy Commissioner (Media) Maruf Hossain Sardar told bdnews24.com: “Apart from plotting against the government, he (Aslam) is accused in a number of cases in Chittagong. He has been arrested because of these charges.

“But a decision is yet to be taken on whether he will be sent to Chittagong or presented before a Dhaka court on Monday.”

Chittagong Metropolitan Police earlier in the day said a travel ban would be slapped on him and he would be arrested the moment he was to be found.

Aslam was caught several hours after the home minister confirmed that the travel ban was in effect.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia made Aslam a joint secretary general of the party after their last council in March. He is also the convener of the party’s Chittagong North unit.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday afternoon said they were looking for the others involved in the ‘conspiracy’.

“Our detectives are working on it. We’ll find all of them and make public how they are involved and how much damage they have caused,” Kamal told reporters at the Secretariat.

The ruling Awami League leaders have claimed that the BNP in collusion with Israel and its spy agency Mossad was generating a ‘conspiracy’ to overthrow the Sheikh Hasina government.

On Saturday, the Palestinian envoy in Dhaka said it will be a ‘political suicide’ for any Bangladeshi party to have ties with Israel.

The BNP, however, has brushed off allegations of its having any ties with Israel or Mossad, and said Aslam Chowdhury’s India visit earlier this month was ‘personal’.