Man posing as adviser to Biden detained from Dhaka airport

The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has detained the man who had been introducing himself as an "adviser to US President Joe Biden" from Dhaka airport while he was leaving the country.

Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy was held from the immigration department of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday evening, a DB official told The Business Standard.

BNP leaders had brought Mian Arefy to the party's central office in Dhaka on Saturday, introducing him as an adviser to Joe Biden, and held a press conference where Arefy reportedly assured BNP and Jamaat of "support from US President Joe Biden to ensure regime change in Bangladesh."

When the US Embassy's attention was drawn to a video of the event, an embassy spokesperson said, "This gentleman does not speak for the US government and is a private individual."

Sitting at the BNP office in Nayapaltan with BNP leader Ishraque Hossain - son of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka-  Arefy even went as far as to claim that the US president is in full favour of restoration of the caretaker government.

Apart from Biden, Arefy bragged about his day-to-day contact with the US State Department and embassy officials in Bangladesh and claimed that all key players within the US government back the opposition's movement.

Videos of Arefy sitting at BNP office, surrounded by party leaders, was circulated on social media by pro-BNP and Jamaat netizens claiming that Arefy, "on behalf of Biden," came to BNP's party office to support their cause to overthrow the government.