Bangladesh: Retired army general arrested over fake ‘Biden’s adviser’ connection

PTI

Dhaka, October 31

Bangladesh police on Tuesday arrested a former army general who allegedly prompted a Bangladeshi-American national to appear before the media, identifying himself as a close “advisor” to US President Joe Biden and convey his administration’s support for a regime change in the country.

“We have arrested former Lt General Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardi from (suburban) Savar and brought him to our office for initial interrogation and subsequent legal procedures,” police's detective branch chief Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid told reporters.

Rashid said the former general was the accused no. 2 of a case relating to the fraudulence, under which so-called Biden adviser Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy now awaits trial on charges of fraudulence and instigating anarchy in Bangladesh.

On Saturday, Suhrawardi escorted Arefy to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) central office in Dhaka where he spoke before a group of reporters alongside party activists as the US president's adviser and a “member of (US) national democratic committee”.

Police arrested Arefy on Sunday from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as he was trying to leave Bangladesh.

Arefy assured the media of the Biden administration's support for a regime change in Bangladesh while Suhrawardy and BNP leader Ishraque Hossain sat beside him along with some other junior party leaders.

“We (Biden and I) have a hot connection...Joe Biden and I exchange text messages 10 to 15 times a day,” he was heard saying in English at the media briefing.

Arefy, who grew up in Bangladesh's northwestern Pabna district, commented that Bangladesh almost became Sri Lanka in terms of economic crisis while soon it would become a state of India if the Awami League regime continued in power.

He claimed that the recent US visa sanctions or restrictions on Bangladeshi officials were the outcome of his efforts. He said he would ensure sanctions against Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Law Minister Anisul Huq and more law enforcement officials.

In initial police interrogation, Arefy claimed he was prompted by Suhrawardy to make the claims.

The US embassy in Dhaka quickly issued a statement, saying “this gentleman does not speak for the US government and is a private individual”.

Bangladesh's foreign minister AK Abdul Momen called him an “imposter”. Rashid said police were set to start an initial interrogation of the former general and he would be asked what prompted him to stage the drama.

Hours before Suhrawardy's arrest, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she issued an order to arrest him. “He will not be spared,” the premier said while replying to a question at a press conference at her Gonobhaban official residence.

Sarwardy previously served as the director general of elite Special Security Force designated to provide security to VVIP's including Hasina, general officer commanding of army's Savar-based 9 Division and the head of the National Defence College (NDC).

After his retirement, the army declared him persona non grata to the country's military installations for his suspicious and disturbing public comments.

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