TDS Desk:

BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has demanded a transparent investigation into allegations linking an interim government adviser to the recent Gulshan extortion case.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, he urged authorities to publicly clarify the matter, stating, “It must be clearly established whether any adviser was involved. The people have a right to know. Without a credible probe, suspicions will only deepen.”

The controversy arose on August 13 after a video confession by Zane Alam Opu, former joint convener of the Bangladesh Democratic Student Alliance (BAGCHAS), surfaced online. In the video, Opu claimed he met an unnamed adviser early in the morning outside a hotel in Gulshan, allegedly in connection with an extortion attempt at the residence of former Awami League MP Shammi Akter.

The following day, Opu’s wife, Kazi Anisha, held a press conference alleging that BNP leader Ishraque Hossain had coerced her husband into making the statement.

Responding to the conflicting accounts, Salahuddin called for an impartial investigation and cautioned political parties against spreading confusion ahead of the upcoming national election.

“Those who attempt to sabotage or boycott the election risk being pushed to the margins of national politics,” he warned.