The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has initiated a formal inquiry into the financial transactions of Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, spokesperson of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and former adviser to the interim government.
Based on a specific complaint, letters were sent to all scheduled banks in the country on Monday, urgently summoning details of his bank accounts, transactions, and related financial information.
Responsible sources at multiple banks have confirmed the matter to Times.
The letter instructs that all information, including account opening forms, KYC documents, transaction details, and financial relationships with concerned individuals or entities, be sent within the next three working days.
The central bank’s financial intelligence wing typically conducts such inquiries in response to allegations of money laundering, unusual transactions, or undisclosed assets.
As a student leader who led the July uprising, Asif Mahmud was appointed as an adviser to the interim government. He was in charge of the Ministries of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, and Youth and Sports.
On 10 December last year, before the 13th national parliamentary election, he and Mahfuz Alam resigned from their adviser posts. Earlier, Nahid Islam, convener of NCP and current MP, had resigned.
Asif Mahmud was born in 1998 in Akubpur village, Muradnagar upazila, Comilla. His father is Md. Billal Hossain and mother is Roksana Begum. He was president of the Dhaka University Students’ Rights Council. Later, he served as convener of the Dhaka University committee of the Democratic Student Power, which emerged in 2023. Currently, he is the spokesperson for NCP.
His tenure as adviser was rife with controversy from the start. There was also criticism regarding some of his father’s activities in the past.
During his time as adviser, questions were raised in political circles about certain appointment and project decisions in the local government and youth sectors.
Significant controversy arose particularly over a Tk297 crore project awarded irregularly to Masud Alam’s E-Learning and Earnings Limited, who is considered close to the Awami League. The Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating this project.
According to ACC sources, Asif Mahmud’s ministry allocated Tk1 lakh per person to Masud Alam’s organisation for training. However, multinational companies provide the same training for a maximum of Tk30,000.
This project sparked widespread controversy. Questions also exist regarding several other projects approved during Asif’s tenure.
The BFIU’s recent step has brought these questions to the forefront once again.
No comment was available from the NCP spokesperson regarding this matter. However, he wrote on his official Facebook page, “Tomorrow, I myself will make my bank statements public for everyone. Before resigning, I already submitted my income and asset details to the Cabinet Division.”
