Asif Mahmud threatens to sue ACC over ‘defamatory’ corruption allegations

National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has provided an explanation regarding the allegations raised by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over irregularities and corruption in the Ministry of Youth and Sports during his tenure as an advisor to the former interim government.

Claiming that he was not personally involved in either of the two incidents related to the allegations, Asif Mahmud said he was being deliberately implicated.

Earlier on Wednesday, ACC Deputy Director Aktarul Islam said the commission had found ‘initial evidence’ of the allegations while announcing that an inquiry had been launched against Asif Mahmud and three others. He later withdrew the statement.

In this regard, Asif Mahmud said, "I urge the ACC to apologise within 24 hours for the damage caused to my reputation and to withdraw the news reports published citing you. Otherwise, I will be compelled to take legal action and file a defamation lawsuit."

Asif Mahmud made these remarks during a press conference held at the temporary central office of the NCP in Banglamotor, Dhaka on Wednesday. He called this press conference to provide an explanation regarding the ACC's allegations.

Speaking at the press conference, Asif Mahmud said, "The allegations claim Tk 7.6 million in corruption over an order cancelling the current-charge appointments of 38 upazila youth development officers and Tk 20 million in corruption by promoting 150 individuals, totaling Tk 27.6 million in corruption.”

“The allegations have been brought against me and the then (and current) Youth and Sports Secretary, a Joint Secretary and a Deputy Secretary," he said.

Claiming that the allegation of Tk 7.6 million in corruption has no alignment with the actual incident, Asif Mahmud said, "In 2021, in violation of the rules, 112 tenth-grade Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officers were given current charge as ninth-grade Upazila Youth Development Officers without being promoted. They remained in those positions until 2025. However, according to existing rules, no individual can be kept on current charge for more than six months.”

“Since the 2021 order violated rules, a lawsuit was subsequently filed in court challenging it. In this context, the court declared that order illegal in 2025. At the time of the court’s verdict, 38 of the 112 officials were still in those posts. The others had either retired or received regular promotions. To implement the court’s verdict, the current-charge appointments of those 38 officials were cancelled and they were reverted from Grade 9 to their substantive posts in Grade 10. But the ACC's allegations have presented this matter in a completely opposite manner," he said.

He further said the removal of the 38 officials created vacancies. Along with other vacancies that had arisen over time, the government sought the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) opinion on promotions to a total of 182 vacant posts of assistant upazila youth development officers.

Although the allegations mention 150 posts, promotions were actually given to 182 posts. The ministry wrote to the PSC stating that these officers needed to be promoted. Following the rules, a seniority list prepared through coordination between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Public Administration was sent to the PSC.

Noting that when the seniority list was sent for promotion in accordance with the rules, the relevant officers' service records, ACRs (Annual Confidential Reports), divisional cases or any disciplinary matters or other relevant information had been sent to the PSC, the former advisor said the PSC verified, sorted and reviewed this information before granting promotions.

Yet, the ACC's allegations have accused this very process, claiming Tk 20 million in corruption in the promotion process. This promotion was carried out entirely in accordance with the PSC's recommendations. The first 182 individuals who appeared in the PSC's recommendations were the ones promoted.

“Had we violated the recommendations and promoted someone from serial number 600 or 700, then allegations of corruption could have been made. Therefore, it also needs to be clarified whether the ACC will investigate the PSC as well,” he said.

Asif Mahmud claimed that he was not personally involved in either of the two processes.

He said that matters relating to the appointment or promotion of district-level youth development officers are settled at the level of the minister or adviser in charge. However, the matter of Upazila Assistant Youth Development Officers is resolved at the secretary level. This does not come to the advisor.

"I was not the signing authority for either of the two orders, the secretary was. That means, officially there was no scope for my direct involvement in these two processes," he said.

Pointing out that the sequence of events presented in the ACC's allegations is not consistent with the actual administrative process, Asif Mahmud said,

"Implementing the court's verdict, canceling current charges, creating vacant posts, and subsequently promoting based on the PSC's recommendations—every step was completed following the process determined by the relevant authorities. I urge the relevant authorities to properly verify the files and administrative processes related to those postings and promotions before making a decision based on the allegations.”

“In the interest of revealing the truth, I am ready to extend all-out cooperation to the relevant authorities in verifying all necessary information, data and files," he said.

Addressing the ACC, Asif Mahmud said, "The ACC official who spoke of finding preliminary evidence in the allegations later said in the WhatsApp group of journalists covering the ACC beat that the statement about finding evidence slipped out of his mouth and asked them to not publish it. However, the news reports published based on his statement have not changed. This has defamed me personally. I urge the ACC to apologise within 24 hours for the defamation caused to me and to withdraw the news reports published citing you. Otherwise, I will be compelled to take legal action and file a defamation lawsuit."