Last Updated on March 5, 2026 12:13 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain, Dhaka
Bangladesh’s financial intelligence agency has sought details of all bank accounts held by former interim government adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, triggering fresh political debate months after his exit from the cabinet.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has written to banks and financial institutions, asking them to submit account-opening documents, transaction records and identification details linked to Asif within three working days, officials confirmed.
A senior executive of a private bank, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the communication included Asif’s name, date of birth and national identity number. “If any account exists, the bank will inform the BFIU in line with regulatory requirements,” the official said.
The BFIU routinely gathers banking information as part of its statutory mandate and does not comment on ongoing inquiries due to confidentiality obligations with international partners. Repeated attempts to contact BFIU chief executive Ikhtiar Uddin Mohammad Mamun were unsuccessful.
Asif Mahmud, a prominent figure during the July uprising, joined the interim administration after the fall of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The interim government took charge three days later under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
One of three student representatives in the cabinet, Asif initially oversaw the labour and youth and sports portfolios before being moved to the local government ministry. He resigned on December 10 amid pressure from political parties ahead of parliamentary elections.
Though he did not contest the polls, Asif is currently the spokesperson of the National Citizen Party or NCP. Responding to reports of the BFIU move, he said in a Facebook post that he would make his bank statements public.