B’desh Police Find New Leads in Plot to Murder Sheikh Hasina’s Son

The two pro-opposition journalists involved are close aides of former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia.

Bangladesh police on Tuesday claimed to have found evidence of links between two detained pro-opposition senior journalists in the alleged plot to abduct and murder Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajib Wajed Joy, in the US.

Journalist Shafik Rehman has admitted that he held several meetings with those who hatched the plot to abduct and kill him (Sajib Wajed Joy).

Monirul Islam, Police Spokesperson

Rehman, 81, an editor and adviser to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was detained over what was termed a plot to kill Joy. He was quizzed by the police for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, under a five-day remand order since his arrest on Saturday.

Islam said police also found links of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) mouthpiece Amar Desh editor, Mahmudur Rahman, 62, in the plot, who is in jail since 2013 under several other charges, and “legal procedure is underway to secure a court order for him to be remanded in our custody for interrogation.”

Another official familiar with the investigation said police recovered several of the FBI’s “confidential documents” about the plot during a search at Rehman’s house.

Rehman himself handed those (FBI) papers to us as we led him to his house under our custody after he admitted his links to the US-based plotters.

Mashruqur Rahman Khaled, Detective Branch’s deputy commissioner

Rehman, a TV anchor who was previously the editor of the daily Jai Jai Din and currently runs fun weekly Mouchake Dhil, is regarded as a top intellectual aide of Zia whose BNP is now the key opposition outside parliament. BNP had also declined to contest the 2014 general elections under Hasina’s premiership.

The developments came a day after Hasina said her government would definitely take action against those who were found to be involved in the plot.

Meanwhile, BNP condemned Rehman’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.

The incident proves that there is no democracy in the country and nobody has the right to express his free opinion.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General of BNP