Asif Mahmud Joined Jamaat Alliance to Escape Accountability: Rashed Khan

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Rashed Khan, the Prime Minister's Political Assistant holding the rank of secretary, has questioned the political position of National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson and former adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan in connection with allegations of corruption against him.

In a post published on his verified Facebook account on Sunday (September 13), Rashed Khan claimed that Asif Mahmud had joined the politics of the Jamaat-led alliance to protect himself from allegations of corruption and political pressure.

Rashed Khan claimed in the post that when Asif Mahmud held an anti-Jamaat position, the allegations against him were considered credible. He also claimed that Asif Mahmud was not given a nomination for the Dhaka-10 constituency at that time because of the corruption allegations against him, despite a request from Jamaat Amir Dr Muhammad Yunus.

According to Rashed Khan, the position regarding the allegations against Asif Mahmud now appears to have changed because he has become involved in the politics of the Jamaat-led alliance. He questioned whether someone's guilt or innocence should be determined based on their political position.

Writing in a sarcastic tone, Rashed Khan said an impression has emerged that all allegations against a person disappear if that person stays with or supports Jamaat. He claimed that Asif Mahmud had also joined the Jamaat alliance to obtain political protection from allegations against him.

Rashed Khan further claimed that if the NCP leaves its alliance with Jamaat in the future, the political position regarding Asif Mahmud could also change. He also commented on Asif Mahmud's changing political position in relation to Dhaka South City Corporation.

He claimed that after Jamaat made its position clear that it would not support Asif Mahmud in the south, he moved to the north. Rashed Khan also commented that Asif Mahmud might later step aside in support of Jamaat leader Selim Uddin.

At the end of his post, Rashed Khan described the situation involving corruption allegations against a person who played an important role in the mass uprising, as well as the political calculations surrounding the matter, as unfortunate.

However, no immediate response was available from Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan or the NCP regarding Rashed Khan's allegations. The report also contains no information about any final determination by the relevant authorities regarding the truth of the corruption allegations against Asif Mahmud.