Former adviser and NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has questioned the grounds for an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) inquiry into allegations against him, saying one of the cases concerns a promotion order issued months after he had resigned from the interim government.
At a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday, Asif said he stepped down as an adviser on 10 December 2025, while the BNP-led government assumed office on 17 February 2026.
Asif Mahmud said an allegation was filed on 26 April 2026, accusing him of preparing to collect nearly Tk2 crore in exchange for the promotion and preferred posting of 150 assistant upazila youth development officers.
The government issued the promotion order on 11 May, he said.
“I resigned as adviser on 10 December 2025, and the BNP government took office on 17 February 2026. When the order was issued on 11 May, the government had already been in office for three months,” Asif said.
According to him, the allegation claimed that Tk1 lakh would be collected from each of the 150 officials for promotion and Tk30,000 each for postings at their preferred locations.
Asif questioned how he could have taken money for a promotion carried out after the change of government.
“How could I have taken Tk2 crore for a promotion carried out while the BNP government was in power?” he asked.
He said if there were irregularities in the promotion process, the ACC should investigate those responsible at the time rather than implicating him.
At the briefing, Asif displayed a government order dated 11 May 2026.
He said the order promoted 135 assistant upazila youth development officers to upazila youth development officers and assigned them to specified workplaces.
Questions ACC’s verification process
Asif also questioned how the ACC had verified the allegations before launching its inquiry.
“If they had properly verified the complaint, and if they wanted to investigate a promotion issued on 11 May 2026, then the investigation should be against those currently at the Ministry of Youth and Sports,” he said.
He also spoke about another allegation concerning the cancellation of acting appointments of upazila youth development officers.
According to Asif, the complaint alleged that the acting appointments of 38 officials would be cancelled in exchange for Tk2 lakh from each, totalling Tk 76 lakh.
He disputed the allegation, saying the acting appointments had actually been given to 112 assistant upazila youth development officers on 25 November 2021.
The appointments were cancelled on 9 December 2025, following a ruling by the Administrative Tribunal after a lengthy legal process, he said.
“Acting appointments are given only in very special cases. They are not normally given in regular cases, and even when they are given, there is no provision for keeping them for more than six months,” Asif said.
He said a case was filed after the appointments were made in 2021. According to him, the Administrative Tribunal delivered its verdict in 2023, while the subsequent appeal process ended on 8 December 2025.
The ministry cancelled the 25 November 2021 order the following day in line with the tribunal’s decision, he said.
“The ministry simply implemented the ruling of the Administrative Appellate Tribunal through this order,” Asif said.
He also said the order cancelling the acting appointments was signed by the ministry secretary, saying that such administrative decisions are dealt with at the secretary level and do not come before an adviser.
Asif challenges ACC over ‘preliminary substantiation’ claim
Asif also questioned the ACC spokesperson’s remarks about the allegations against him, saying the commission had initially created the impression that the allegations had been substantiated.
He said the ACC spokesperson, during an earlier press briefing, had described the allegations as having received “preliminary substantiation”.
Asif later challenged the commission to disclose the evidence on which the statement was based.
According to Asif, the ACC spokesperson subsequently told a WhatsApp group of journalists that he had mistakenly used the term “preliminary substantiation” and asked journalists to remove that portion from their video clips.
“He simply tried to get away with such a major mistake by sending a WhatsApp text,” Asif said.
He alleged that the ACC did not issue any formal public correction or clarification over the statement.
Asif said the initial comment had already caused widespread negative publicity against him, as reports suggesting that the allegations had been substantiated were circulated across the country.
“By then, the news had already spread across the country, and the video of his statement had reached millions of people, saying that the allegations against Asif Mahmud had been substantiated,” he said.
He said he had sought a public explanation from the ACC and requested corrections to reports based on the spokesperson’s remarks.
Asif said he received no response from the commission and subsequently indicated that he would consider taking legal action.
