Police claim BNP leader Aslam has given substantial information about plot with Israel

Police say that information gleaned from BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury during remand reinforces the suspicion of a plot with an Israeli politician to overthrow the government.

“He gave us a lot of information, which is enough to prove the charges against him,” Dhaka metro police’s Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam told the media on Thursday.

The BNP leader, accused of treason, is now being quizzed in police custody, after being remanded for five-days.

Replying to reporter’s question on Thursday, Additional Commissioner Islam said, “He told us the names of those he met in India and the people he met before going there, and of those who had encouraged him to do so.

“He has said a lot of things, including giving the details of the plan.”

The senior police officer said they were verifying the information.

Timeline 
 

>> Aslam Chowdhury, convener of the BNP’s Chittagong North Unit, was recently nominated as a joint secretary general after the party’s council in March.
 
>> Israeli right-wing politician Mendi N Safadi is a member of the Liqud party and a former adviser to an Israeli deputy minister, Ayoub Karar. He now runs a think-tank styled ‘The Mendi N Safadi Centre for International Relation and Public Relations.’
 
>>The two came under the spotlight following reports in the Bangladesh media of a meeting between the two in Delhi with photographs of the duo.  
 

Mendi N Safadi

>> Leaders of the ruling Awami League have claimed that the meeting was part of a conspiracy to overthrow Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with help of the Israeli spy agency Mossad.

>>The BNP has refuted the allegation, saying Aslam’s India trip was ‘personal’.

>>Aslam and Safadi both have admitted to meeting each other in Delhi but claimed nothing covert had been discussed.

>> On May 15, police arrested Aslam from Dhaka and secured a seven-day remand the next day under Section 54.
 
>> On May 26, the police filed a case against the BNP leader accusing him of treason and conspiring against the State. The same day, IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque told the media that Aslam admitted to ‘striking a deal’ with Safadi during interrogation.