Said what I was asked to say at BNP office: So-called Bidens adviser Arefy at DB Office

Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy, who claimed to be an “adviser to US President Joe Biden,” at the DB office said that he “only followed instructions he received at the BNP office.”

A video that has been circulating on social media, shows Arefy talking to DB officials.

No DB officials have officially commented on this as of filing this report.

During his statement at the DB office, Arefy in the video is heard saying, “On October 28, Lt General (retired) Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardi brought me to the BNP party office at 3 pm to discuss their program. They requested me to deliver a speech. BNP leader Ishraque Hossain was also present, along with many others I didn‍‍`t recognize. They asked me to introduce myself as a ‘leader of the Democratic Committee’ and ‘Joe Biden‍‍`s adviser,’ and deliver a speech. I said what I was asked to say.”

Arefy said he was admitting his mistake: “I said what I was asked to say at the BNP office. I‍‍`m sorry for what I said, I was wrong.”

Arefy was detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka yesterday and subsequently taken to the DB headquarters on Minto Road for interrogation.

On Saturday, Arefy visited the BNP central office in Naya Paltan and presented himself as an "adviser to US President Biden" when speaking to reporters.