Mahdi travels to India carrying crypto worth Tk40 lakh

Former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement and Habiganj branch secretary Mahdi Hasan reportedly travelled to India carrying cryptocurrency allegedly worth around Tk 40 lakh, according to a BBC Bangla report.

Sources cited by BBC Bangla state that Mahdi visited Delhi intending to apply for a Portuguese visa at a private processing centre in Connaught Place. While he reportedly brought a significant amount of funds for future expenses, the exact details remain unverified. Another source declined to comment.

During his visit, someone recorded a video of him at the visa centre and circulated it on social media, drawing the attention of Indian intelligence agencies. Following this, Mahdi came under scrutiny and was advised to leave Delhi. On Tuesday evening, after checking out from a Paharganj hotel, he moved to another hotel near the airport. According to an Indian source, his visa was cancelled that night without prior notice.

On Wednesday morning, while heading to catch an Indigo flight to Dhaka from Delhi airport, Mahdi was separately questioned and security-checked for about half an hour. Officials reportedly flagged him for making public anti-India statements and allegedly calling for the killing of a Bangladeshi police officer, marking him as a “suspected offender.” He was not physically harmed during the questioning.

Mahdi returned to Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon and told reporters that he was subjected to “severe harassment” as an “SAD leader and anti-discrimination activist” and that his “life was at risk.”

Responding to questions about carrying large amounts of cryptocurrency, he denied the claims, calling them “rumours.” Upon returning, he faced further questioning in Bangladesh.

Earlier, a video circulated on social media showed Mahdi allegedly threatening Abul Kalam, OC of Shayestaganj police, and claiming responsibility for arson in Baniachang and the killing of SI Santosh Chowdhury. Following public backlash, he was arrested in January but later released.

The circumstances of his Delhi trip and the reported cryptocurrency remain unclear. Efforts by BBC Bangla to contact Mahdi for clarification were unsuccessful.