Asif challenges state minister over allegation of approving files without secretary’s signature

The government has formed a seven-member committee to investigate alleged irregularities and corruption in the Local Government Division and its affiliated offices and agencies during both the Awami League government and the tenure of the interim administration.

At the same time, state minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam has alleged that former adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain approved project files without the signature of the ministry secretary.

In response, Asif Mahmud challenged the state minister to make the specific file public. Addressing not only the state minister but also Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, he said, “If they have the courage, they should present the file before the public by Sunday.”

After the allegation was raised during a briefing at the Secretariat on Saturday afternoon, Asif Mahmud spoke about the matter during a Facebook Live session from his verified account later in the evening. He served as adviser to the Local Government Ministry from November 2024 to 10 December, 2025.

While discussing the activities of the committee formed by the BNP government to examine corruption and irregularities in the Local Government Division and its affiliated bodies between 2009 and 2026, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam referred to Asif Mahmud during the briefing.

He said, “A file has come to my notice. During the interim government, an adviser forcibly brought a file and approved it with his own signature without the secretary’s signature. This will come under investigation. It is completely against the Rules of Procedure and the Rules of Business. Without the signature of the secretary responsible for the ministry, a minister can never approve a file. There is no such provision in the law, the Rules of Procedure or the Rules of Business.”

Later, responding to journalists’ questions, the state minister identified the former adviser as Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain. He added that further details would emerge during the investigation and declined to comment further at this stage.

Responding to State Minister Shah Alam’s remarks, former adviser Asif Mahmud went live Saturday evening to present his side of the matter. In the 24-minute live session, he explained the process of file and project approvals in ministries and said, “Without understanding the process, it will be difficult to understand the allegation that has been made. They (Mir Shahe Alam) have been in office for only three months. Perhaps they still have not fully understood the process.…The process is very lengthy, what many of us refer to as bureaucratic red tape. Upstream, it is impossible for any file to even reach the adviser’s or minister’s table without the secretary’s signature, let alone be approved. It is impossible for a project to be passed without informing the secretary or keeping him in the dark. A project does not get approved simply because someone verbally says so.”

Asif Mahmud said, “What he (the state minister) said — that an adviser illegally approved a file in the absence of the secretary or without the secretary’s signature — requires more clarity, in my opinion. Exactly which file is he referring to? It should exist on paper that there is a file carrying my signature but not the secretary’s signature. Sometimes, when the secretary is abroad, an additional secretary is usually assigned the secretary’s routine responsibilities based on seniority. At that time, he continues the file work. Therefore, even in the secretary’s absence, there should definitely be the signature of an additional secretary. I would ask Mir Shahe Alam for some clarity.”

In this regard, Asif said, “It is possible that the secretary was outside the country, a file came after being signed by an additional secretary, I signed it, and it went through the additional secretary. That is legally valid.”

Mentioning that Mir Shahe Alam may have named him to give the matter a political colour, Asif Mahmud said during the live session, “I want clarification from the ministry regarding this matter. If I have committed any wrongdoing, then bring me under accountability and clearly show the people of Bangladesh which file involved this irregularity.”

Toward the end of the live session, Asif issued a challenge, saying, “I challenge Mr Shah Alam — if he has the courage and stands by his statement, then by tomorrow, Sunday, he should clearly present the file before the public. I challenge him. I also challenge Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. If they do not make it public, then I will believe they have done this to personally attack and humiliate me. Bring in experts and show exactly where and what illegality has occurred. I am challenging — let’s face it.”