A BNP leader, who has been in Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah since October 4, has been suedby police over attempted robbery in Chattogram's Raozan upazila.

Firoz Ahmed, the joint convener of Raozan upazila BNP, alleged that police implicated him for attempted robbery just to harass him.

Apart from Firoz, eight others were also accused in the case filed with Raozan Police Station by Sub-inspector Tuton Mazumdar. Two of them are involved in BNP politics, said locals and party sources.

Police filed another case against the nine over possession of illegal firearms.

According to the case statement, three people -- Jane Alam, 46, a Jubo Dal leader, Abdullah Al Khakon, 38, and Abu Bakkar Siddique Babu, 28, -- were caught red-handed by police early Thursday in Raozan's Thakurpara village when they were preparing for committing a robbery.

Police also recovered two locally made firearms, two bullets, two machetes, and a cutter from their possession.

Six others -- Md Shah Alam, Md Yousuf Talukdar, Jane Alam, Lokman, Md Jasim, and Firoz Ahmed -- were in the robbery gang. But they managed to flee during the police drive, said the case statement.

Contacted over the phone on Thursday, Firoz  said, "I reached Macca on October 4 for performing Umrah. I have been here since then.

"I have been facing police harassment for years. I have been away from Raozan for around 10 years due to police harassment. I was compelled to live in Chattogram city. I could not even join my mother's namaz-e-janaza a few years ago fearing police harassment," he told The Daily Star.

Talking to this correspondent, his son said his father is in Saudi Arabia. According to travel documents shown by the family, Firoz went there on October 4.

The two others accused are Jane Alam, assistant communication affairs secretary of Chattogram district Jubo Dal, and Yusuf Talukdar, joint secretary of Chattogram district north unitSwechchhasebak Dal, said locals and party sources.

Contacted, Yusuf said, "I was not involved in any robbery. Police implicated me falsely. I stay in Chattogram city to avoid police harassment."

Abdullah Al Harun, officer-in-charge of Raozan Police Station, said, "I don't know the political identities of the accused. Police caught some of the accused red-handed preparing for committing a robbery. If anyone is named in the case mistakenly, his name will be dropped after investigation."