Also eyed WTC hit, killing gov’t honcho: cops

An aspiring terrorist and Osama Bin Laden acolyte was busted after pondering plots to slaughter Times Square tourists, take out a senior U.S. government official and blast the new World Trade Center with a massive rocket launcher.

Ashiqul Alam, 22, was held without bail Friday after his arrest on weapons charges in a federal probe involving a pair of undercover law enforcers as his “collaborators.” The native of Bangladesh appeared in court wearing blue jeans, a purple shirt and red sneakers, and answered questions politely before he was taken back to jail.

“There is more to this case than just talk and the desire to carry out a terrorist attack,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney. “Individuals who believe in the distorted and deadly propaganda of terrorist organizations and work toward acting on those deadly impulses are incredibly dangerous and unpredictable.

“Mr. Alam allegedly then took the steps to follow through on his deadly impulse, purchasing weapons to kill New Yorkers, target an elected official and attack police officers.”

The college student, who works two jobs to help his parents, suggested an assortment of terror plots to one undercover agent after the two first met last August.

One involved a scheme to hurl grenades into the multitudes of Times Square outof-towners, another suggested targeting the new World Trade Center, and a third mentioned a suicide bombing to kill the Washington government big-wig, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.

“Yeah, man, that s—- is painless,” Alam told the undercover about donning a suicide vest loaded with shrapnel. “You die right away. Better than prison, right?”

As proof of his dedication to the cause, Alam mentioned to the undercover that he needed a ride back and forth from a Lasik surgery appointment to improve his