Mian Jahidul Islam alias Arefy came under the spotlight on October 28, when a video made its way onto social media, capturing a peculiar scene at the BNP's central office in Naya Paltan, Dhaka. In the clip, Arefy addresses a press briefing flanked by BNP leaders like Ishraque Hossain.
The mysterious man introduced himself as a member of a so-called National Democratic Committee and an advisor to the United States president, Joe Biden.
Arefy went on to make claims about his close ties to President Biden, stating that they frequently exchanged texts, often up to 10-15 times a day. He also delved into the BNP's recent rally and the ensuing violence, emphasizing that he was an eyewitness to the chaos, having heard gunshots and seen the turmoil firsthand.
He assured opposition supporters of the US president’s support to ensure a leadership change in Bangladesh and even went ahead to claim that Biden was in full favour of the restoration of the caretaker government system.
His sudden appearance in Bangladesh’s political scene raised numerous questions and concerns.
A US embassy spokesperson later that night said, referring to Arefy, that he did not speak for the US government and was a private individual.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen the next day called for his immediate arrest.
Officials of Bangladesh Police's Immigration Services detained Arefy later that day when he was supposed to fly out to Washington via Doha on a connecting flight of Qatar Airways at 5:30pm.
They said Arefy had been wearing a mask to evade airport security.
Arefy in the custody of detectives claimed that BNP leaders had taught him what to say at the press conference.
Origin, dubious claims
Although born and raised in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj, Arefy’s family built a one-storey house in the 80s in Pabda Sadar upazila, where his father worked at the time, according to media reports. Arefy had nine siblings and moved to the US around three decades ago along with his family.
Arefy had visited Pabna twice in the past four-five months, locals told a news outlet.
Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding Arefy deepened as details about him remained elusive.
Arefy, also known as Bellal, is a Bangladeshi American who lives in Maryland, US. He was born and raised in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj and often visits Bangladesh, according to sources.
Arefy frequently visited Bangladesh according to his passport, said immigration officials.
His Facebook profile remains locked, although his biography could still be viewed, where he claims to work at Capitol Hill, home to the domed United States Capitol, Senate, Houses of Representatives and Supreme Court.
His bio also says he is associated with “Members of National Democretic Committee;” the use of the plural form of member and the misspelled Democretic raises suspicion. Notably, there is no entity known as the National Democratic Committee, but the Democratic National Committee (DNC) exists as part of the United States Democratic Party. However, Arefy's name does not appear on the current DNC members' list.
It also states that he earned his Bachelor Business of Administration degree from Cornell Engineering in the US and had studied previously at Govt Edward College in Pabna and Pabna Zilla School before that.
Little else could be discerned from his Facebook account.
A connection to one Abdul Baten Heru was uncovered through tagged photos, with one from last year depicting Arefy at Govt Akbar Ali College in Ullapara, Sirajganj, where he hails from. In the post, Heru says his maternal cousin, Arefy, is an influential member of the Democratic National Committee of the US Democratic Party.
A search on his LinkedIn account failed to reveal any political affiliations but did note his employment at a US retail store as team lead.