Two advisers in the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, who emerged from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement that culminated in the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina regime a year ago, have continued to ignite criticism and controversy with their actions.
Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam and Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan caught the attention of the country on Tuesday, both making posts on Meta (formerly known as Facebook) over two serious matters.
Despite holding important positions in the government, such actions have been called into question, with many asking whether these actions violate their oaths of office.
Their behaviour has also sparked concern in political and social circles, with many questioning whether they are acting as responsible state advisers or as political activists.
Generating one controversy after another, they are damaging the credibility of the interim administration, according to many reactions to their actions.
In his post early Tuesday morning, Alam wrote, “These days, many are attacking me because they are losing their power. A few bigwigs from a new party are involved in this. Everything will come to light. In a certain circle, almost everyone is corrupt, but when one person doesn’t take a single penny, how can anyone tolerate that?”
He continued: “Even my worst enemies, despite all the accusations against me over the past 12 months, have never accused me of corruption or financial misconduct. Many of the bigwigs of a new party are facing difficulties because of this. The responsibility of the state is a sacred trust. Honour and the state’s trust are more important to us than thousands or even billions of taka.”
By referring to a new party, the adviser clearly meant the National Citizens Party (NCP), but nearly two hours after posting, he edited the write-up, changing the phrase “bigwigs of the new party” to “bigwigs of various parties.”
Previously, Alam drew sharp criticism for sharing a map that depicted Tripura as part of Bangladesh while commenting on Dhaka-Delhi relations. Later, he took down the post. He also faced backlash for his Facebook comments on war crimes and Islamic scholars.
On the other hand, the adviser on local government, Asif Mahmud, made headlines almost regularly for his actions and controversial posts. The latest one came on Tuesday, apparently in response to a news segment aired on BanglaVision TV channel.
The report raised allegations against the adviser and his team about sheltering the suspects in a brutal triple murder that occurred in their home district of Cumilla’s Muradnagar on July 3.
Responding to the allegations, Asif Mahmud posted on Facebook, denying the allegations and stating that neither he nor his family had been in the area for the past three months. He asserted that the victim’s statements had been influenced by supporters of BNP leader Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad.
Asif also accused mayoral candidate Ishraq Hossain of collaborating with Kaykobad to spread propaganda against him through a television channel allegedly under their control.
He condemned the portrayal of murder suspects as victims while depicting him as the villain.
Earlier, Asif Mahmud was embroiled in controversy over obtaining a contractor licence in his father’s name. After the incident, he explained that his father had innocently signed a document at the suggestion of a local contractor, which was later cancelled.
The most talked-about incident occurred on 29 June when a magazine filled with bullets was discovered in his bag while he was attempting to travel abroad.
In subsequent Facebook posts, Asif alleged that CCTV footage from the airport had been sent overseas and that he was under state surveillance.
He also wrote, “Even I am not safe while in government—how vulnerable are ordinary citizens then?” He further commented that there was no difference between some statements made by participants in the mass uprising and those of exiled journalists.
In response to Asif’s statement, UK-based exiled Bangladeshi journalist Zulkarnain Sayer Khan wrote, “Ordinary citizens don’t fly to Switzerland to buy branded clothes with someone else’s money or hop over to Dubai to claim a cut of commissions like you.”
He added, “Much of your conduct has occurred off-camera. You should think about what you’ll say when those come to light.”