Asif Mahmud bins extortion allegations, brands claims 'intentional'

LGRD, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan has dismissed allegations linking him to an extortion incident at the residence of a former MP in Gulshan of Dhaka, calling the accusations “entirely politically motivated”.

Speaking to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday,  August 14, Asif Mahmud denied any involvement in the case involving Jane Alam Apu, the former joint convener of the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, who was recently arrested in connection with the incident.

Asif Mahmud said: “I have no association with Apu. To date, no one has been able to produce any evidence implicating me. On the contrary, the claim that Apu was forcibly interviewed at the home of a political figure originated from the victim’s family—and that account appears credible.”

He added: “The fact that my name is being mentioned at all is clearly politically driven. You’ve seen such tactics before. We’ve faced them, we’re seeing them now, and you may well see more in the future.”

The controversy stems from a 35-minute video by Jane Alam Apu, which has gone viral on social media. In the footage, Apu, believed to have recorded it while in hiding, details the sequence of events surrounding the alleged extortion.

In the video, Apu admits: “The person seen taking the bag of money during the extortion in Gulshan was me. You’ve seen footage showing coordinators involved in extortion. The man hailed as a hero last year is now accused of being an extortionist.”

He raises further questions: “Do you know that on that day at 5:00am, we conducted a raid at Shammi’s house, the former MP, with police, following official protocol and after informing the DC and AC of the area? And do you know that before that raid, I spoke with Adviser Asif Mahmud at a location in Gulshan?”

Meanwhile, on the same day, August 14, Apu’s wife, Anisa, held a press conference at Shahbagh in the capital, where she raised concerns over her husband’s arrest and the circumstances surrounding it.

She questioned: “Who took the statement from Apu, who was detained from 11:30pm on July 31 until 7:00am the next day? And whose house is Gopibag? Isn’t Gopibag the residence of Ishraq Hossain?”

Anisa added: “Apu was apprehended in front of Ishraq Hossain’s house. The videos and images circulating on social media—all of those were recorded at Ishraq’s home.”