A magazine was in my bag mistakenly: Asif Mahmud
Interim government’s Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has provided an explanation regarding the magazine found in his bag during scanning at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
In a statement posted on his personal Facebook account on Sunday, Asif Mahmud said that although he had left behind a firearm along with one magazine at home, another magazine mistakenly remained in his bag while packing. Later, he handed it over to his personal protocol officer.
Asif Mahmud departed the country early Sunday through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to attend the OIC Youth Capital International Programme in Marrakesh, Morocco. A magazine was detected in his bag during scanning at the airport in the early morning.
“I own a licensed legal firearm For security reasons. Considering the repeated assassination attempts on those who led the mass uprising, it is natural to keep one. When there is no government protocol or security detail, it is only for ensuring the safety of myself and my family that I carry a licensed weapon,” Asif wrote.
Asif Mahmud said, “My flight for the OIC Youth Capital International Programme in Marrakesh was at 6:50am today. While packing early in the morning, although I left behind my firearm and one magazine, another magazine mistakenly remained in my bag. Once it was detected during scanning, I handed it over to my protocol officer. This was entirely unintentional. What would I even do with just a magazine? If I had any intention, I wouldn’t have left the weapon behind. Though there was nothing illegal here, I understand it has become an issue of discussion for many.”
Asif Mahmud denied allegations that he pressured the media to remove news reports about the incident.
“The claim that I pressured anyone to remove the news is completely false. After this incident, I was on a flight with my team for 10 hours at a stretch. It was only after getting online during transit after a long time that I saw so much had happened. As a citizen, if you also face security risks, you too can obtain a firearm license by following the proper procedures.”