Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under the directive instruction from its acting chairman Tarique Rahman is alleged to be orchestrating a covert plan involving a staged “terrorist attack” on American diplomats stationed in Bangladesh as part of a broader strategy of getting sanctions on numerous key figures in the ruling Awami League and several civil-military officials and members of law enforcement agencies the country.

The source said, Tarique Rahman, who has earlier plotted a gruesome terrorist attack in August 21, 2005 with the blueprint of eliminating Sheikh Hasina and other front-ranking leaders of Awami League has assigned a recently joined sacked military officer named Hasinur Rahman to coordinate this covert terrorist attack.

According to insiders, various lobbyists associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in the United States are reportedly aware of this conspiracy and involved in advancing this clandestine agenda by spreading rumor of “possible terrorist attack on American diplomats in Bangladesh”.

A credible source has revealed that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has grown increasingly desperate in its efforts to oust the ruling Awami League government from power by October of this year, with purported assistance from the Biden administration and intelligence establishments in the United States.

Prominent BNP lobbyists, including William B. Milam, and Jon Danilowicz, along with other influential figures, are allegedly spearheading this covert operation by maintaining communication with Tarique Rahman, involving a fabricated terrorist attack on American diplomats in Bangladesh.

On May 18, 2023, just four days before the US State Department announced its visa policy concerning Bangladesh, Blitz, in an exclusive report, exposed the connections between lobbyist Hunter Biden and the BNP.

It’s important to note that, for several years, former US diplomats William B. Milam and Jon Danilowicz have been acting as lobbyists for the ultra-Islamist Bangladesh Nationalist Party, among others, without registering themselves as foreign agents, potentially violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The FARA outlines penalties for willful violations, including imprisonment for up to five years, fines of up to US$250,000, or both.

Despite these legal obligations, individuals like William B. Milam, Jon Danilowicz, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, and others are alleged to have sidestepped their duty to declare themselves as foreign agents or lobbyists. However, FARA specifies that certain entities, such as news or press services, may not be subject to registration if they meet specific criteria related to ownership, citizenship, and financial control.

Nonetheless, these former US diplomats are accused of working directly in favor of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which has been classified as a Tier-III terrorist organization by several US courts, while the BNP’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, carries a terrorism conviction.

Jon Danilowicz, a former Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Bangladesh, has been accused of propagating Islamist and jihadist views in Bangladesh through his involvement with the ‘Right to Freedom’ group, which is allegedly funded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. Within diplomatic and media circles in Bangladesh, Danilowicz is said to have garnered influence, particularly in his efforts to disrupt the January 5, 2014 general elections in Bangladesh. His inability to achieve this goal reportedly led to his hasty withdrawal from Dhaka and reassignment to Islamabad as Consulate General within 17 months of his Bangladesh tenure.

According to his Twitter profile, Jon Danilowicz is actively engaged in anti-Bangladesh and anti-Awami League propaganda, seemingly dedicating himself to spreading negative narratives about Bangladesh.

Additionally, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, a controversial figure based in Dhaka, has been accused of consistently publishing and promoting anti-Bangladesh materials. On September 29, 2023, Ansarey, a known hardline Islamist and anti-Semite with alleged ties to convicted terrorist and BNP leader Tarique Rahman, commented on security concerns raised by US Ambassador Peter Haas in Dhaka. The State Department’s Matthew Miller stressed the importance of diplomat safety and hinted at the possibility of visa restrictions.

In response to these concerns, Miller emphasized the necessity for countries to protect diplomatic missions as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The United States hopes that the Bangladesh government will take steps to ensure the safety of all foreign missions and officials.

Regarding potential visa restrictions on Bangladesh, including media outlets supportive of the government, Miller did not specify concrete actions but noted that the US was considering visa bans on individuals responsible for obstructing free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey’s questionable activities include obtaining press accreditation cards from the White House and the United Nations by falsely claiming to be a “US Correspondent” for an entity called “Just News”, which reportedly does not exist in Bangladesh. Ansarey has been accused of using his access to the White House to distort press briefings. These activities have been brought to light through various reports by Blitz.

Jon Danilowicz, a former Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Bangladesh has become a propagandist in favor of Islamists and jihadists in Bangladesh by joining a vicious group named ‘Right to Freedom’, which is jointly funded by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). Within the diplomatic and media circle in Bangladesh, Jon Danilowicz was known as an influential diplomat who made frantic bids in sabotaging the January 5, 2014 general elections in Bangladesh.

As Jon Danilowicz failed to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government by sabotaging the election, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton turned furious at him. As a result, he was abruptly withdrawn from Dhaka and transferred to Islamabad as Consulate General – just within 17 months of his stay in Bangladesh. In his previous two postings in Bangladesh, Jon Danilowicz completed three years of the tenures – each time. Meaning, totally he has served at the US Embassy in Bangladesh for a total period of 89 months.

According to his Twitter handle, Jon Danilowicz has been dedicatedly working against Bangladesh and ruling Awami League, proving, it is now his full-time job to spread nefarious propaganda against Bangladesh.

Notorious actions of Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey

Dhaka-based vernacular tabloid, which has been continuously publishing and promoting anti-Bangladesh propaganda materials on September 29, 2023 in a report quoting Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, a hardline Islamist, anti-Semite and paid agent of convicted terrorist and BNP leader Tarique Rahman said:

The United States has commented on the security concerns of Ambassador Peter Haas posted in Dhaka. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a regular press briefing on Thursday that the safety and security of diplomats is of utmost importance to the United States. He also said that the United States will impose visa restrictions against anyone as needed. To him, journalist Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari wants to know, in an interview to Channel 24 TV in Bangladesh, US Ambassador Peter Haas has expressed concern about his safety, not only his safety, but also the safety of embassy officials in Bangladesh. His concern is valid, absolutely. Because, in recent years, we have witnessed several attacks on the US ambassador during the current regime. Is the Foreign Minister taking this concern seriously?

In response to his question, Matthew Miller said, “I do not want to discuss in detail the security of the US Embassy in Bangladesh or its officials.” I will say that, of course, the safety of our diplomats is of utmost importance to us. According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, every country is obliged to ensure the protection of all diplomatic missions. Obliged to take all diplomatic measures to prevent attacks on any of its officials.

The United States evaluates relations with Bangladesh. We hope that the Bangladesh government will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of all foreign missions and officials including us. 

He was asked to know more, whether the United States is thinking of imposing more visa restrictions against Bangladesh, including the pro-government media, which has helped the ruling group to become a ‘monster’? We have come to know from the embassy in Dhaka that you are thinking of more visa bans against media personalities – in fact those media are propaganda machines…. 

In response, Matthew Miller said, “I am not announcing specific actions.” I will review what we said from this stage. Under the authority of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, law enforcement agencies, members of the ruling party, members of the opposition political parties – anyone we deem responsible or involved in obstructing free and fair elections in Bangladesh – has taken steps to impose a visa ban.

It may be mentioned here that, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey managed press accreditation card from the White House and the United Nations by falsely proclaiming himself as the “US Correspondent” of “Just News”, although there is no existence of any news site by that name in Bangladesh. By taking advantage of his access to the White House using the press accreditation card, Ansarey has been actively involved in misleading the press briefing of the White House. Blitz has exposed such activities of Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey through a number of reports.

It should be noted that Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey’s anti-Bangladesh stance receives support and promotion from a vernacular tabloid based in Dhaka.