Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan vowed to draw on his one and a half years of government experience to serve the people of Dhaka-10, following the submission of his nomination form on Monday.
He collected the form at 11:40am from the Dhanmondi Elect.
Addressing the media, Asif Mahmud highlighted security concerns which have hindered regular election campaigning, urging the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure adequate protection for candidates and voters.
Referring to the overall law and order situation, he said, “The authorities must ensure that no one is allowed to destabilise the country or sabotage the election.”
He also expressed deep concern over the killing of independent Dhaka-8 candidate Sharif Osman Hadi, which occurred a day after the election schedule was announced.
“The government must ensure a level playing field for all candidates and safeguard their security to prevent a recurrence of such incidents,” he added.
“There is a risk involved in campaigning, so I cannot campaign in the usual manner. The government has not yet arrested the accused in the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, which is a failure. Candidates are at risk—especially the leaders of the July Uprising, who continue to face serious threats.”
Earlier, on 12 December, Asif Mahmud confirmed via his verified Facebook page that he would contest the 13th National Parliamentary Election as an independent candidate from Dhaka-10.
He resigned from his position as an adviser on 10 December following a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. During his tenure in the interim government, he oversaw the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan has taken over as adviser for the two ministries since Asif Mahmud’s resignation from the post.
Asif Mahmud emerged as a prominent figure during the 2024 quota reform movement and served as one of the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
