The news on talks between prime minister's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Israel's Likud Party leader Mendi N Safadi is a drama staged by the BNP, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif claimed yesterday.

He said the ruling party will issue a rejoinder to protest the BBC Bangla Service's news in this regard.

Speaking at a press conference at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi, Hanif said, “Staying in London, BNP leaders are making up the story that Joy met Safadi.” 

He alleged the BNP leaders' intention was to shift people's attention from the “conspiracy to oust the government, which was leaked following the arrest of BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury”.

“It's been already proved that the BNP was hatching a deep conspiracy along with Israel.

"I have watched the BBC interview [with Mendi N Safadi], which was done by BNP's London-resident leader Jacob Milton. During the interview, Milton intentionally asked Safadi whether he had talks earlier with anybody of Bangladesh. Safadi replied in the affirmative. It could easily be understood from such a motivated query that it [interview] was all a drama," the AL leader said.

BBC Bangla in a May 27 report cited that in an interview with BBC, Safadi said he had met Joy last year at the latter's office in Washington DC, USA while his meeting with BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury in India was in April this year.

After Aslam's meeting with the Israeli politician became public, police arrested the BNP joint secretary general on May 15 on charges of being involved in the conspiracy to topple the government and on sedition charges.