Asif Mahmud alleges attempt at ‘character assassination’ of student leaders

National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has alleged that efforts are underway to “character assassinate” student leaders since the July Uprising, claiming the attempts intensified after he was informally considered for a city corporation post.

Speaking at an emergency press conference held at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor tonight (4 March), he said although bank account information was sought regarding 56 individuals, only his name was highlighted.

“Since the uprising, there have been attempts to malign student leaders. When the party again initially discussed my name for the city corporation, the same effort resumed,” he added.

Asif alleged that a confidential document was made public to damage his reputation. “Although information on 56 people was requested, highlighting only me exposes their narrow motives.”

The NCP leader announced that he would make his and his family’s bank statements public to ensure transparency.

He disclosed details of multiple family accounts, saying his father has five accounts with a total credit of Tk5 lakh and loans amounting to Tk6 lakh. His mother and wife each have one account, while he has two accounts.

Asif said one of his accounts currently holds Tk9 lakh, including 16 months’ salary, foreign tour expenses and allowances.

According to him, the total credit in that account stands at Tk85.81 lakh, with Tk76 lakh debited. He said Tk25 lakh came from salary and Tk35 lakh from foreign tours and other allowances, all credited from the Cabinet Division during his tenure as an adviser of the interim government.

“They sought only my account details, but I am presenting the full information of my family,” he said, adding that the purpose of disclosing the accounts is to demonstrate transparency and accountability.

Yesterday, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) reportedly sought bank account details of Asif from all banks, acting on a complaint, according to a source quoted by Samakal.

In a Facebook post around midnight, Asif wrote that he would make his bank statements public and noted that he had already submitted his income and asset statements to the Cabinet Division before resigning.

Asif previously served as an adviser in the interim government formed after the July 2024 uprising. During his tenure, he oversaw the ministries of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, as well as Youth and Sports. He resigned from his advisory post on 10 December last year ahead of the 13th national election.