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Asif Mahmud
Adviser to the Interim government of Bangladesh and student activist (born 1998) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan (Bengali: আসিফ মাহমুদ সজীব ভুঁইয়া; born 14 July 1998) is a Bangladeshi student activist,[1][2] who is currently serving as an adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh.[3][4][5] He is a key coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, which led the Student–People's uprising. He is also the former president of Bangladesh Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad at University of Dhaka unit.[6]
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Early life and education
Asif Mahmud was born on 14 July 1998 to a Bengali Muslim Bhuiyan family in the village of Aqubpur in Muradnagar, Comilla District. He was the son of Mohammad Billal Hossain and Rukhsana Begum. Mahmud studied at Nakhalpara Hossain Ali High School in Dhaka and completed his secondary education there.[7] Afterwards, he studied at Adamjee Cantonment College, where he served as the Cadet Sergeant of the college's BNCC Club. He was a student of the 2017–18 academic session in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Dhaka.[8] He is currently studying for a Master's degree at the North South University.[9][10]
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Career
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Mahmud was one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement opposing quotas in government jobs, which evolved into a campaign to remove Hasina from power.[11] He along with Nahid Islam and others gained national recognition in mid-July 2024 when he and several other Dhaka University students were detained by police[12] as the protests became violent.[13]
In the aftermath, on August 5, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.[14] Nahid stated that their goals weren't fully met, and following Hasina's resignation, the group aimed to "abolish fascist systems forever".[15] Mahmud and his organisation called Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead an interim government.[16][17]
Mahmud began his career when he, along with another coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, Nahid Islam, was appointed as an adviser in the 2024 interim government of Bangladesh.[18] In this capacity, he took on dual responsibilities, serving as the Adviser for Youth and Sports and overseeing the Labour and Employment Ministry.[19] He was subsequently transferred from the Labour and Employment Ministry to the Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Ministry on 10 November, 2024.[20]
In April 2025, Mahmud's assistant personal secretary Moazzem Hossain was removed and barred from the Ministry following allegations of corruption.[21]
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Controversies
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 | This article's "criticism" or "controversy" section may compromise the article's neutrality. (July 2025) |
In March 2025, Billal Hossain, father of Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, received a contractor license from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Cumilla. Adviser Bhuiyan initially denied knowledge but later confirmed its authenticity, stating it was obtained without his consent and no work had been undertaken using it.[22][23] On April 24, 2025, the LGED Cumilla district office officially cancelled the contractor license issued to Billal Hossain. The cancellation order was signed by Executive Engineer Mohammad Abdul Matin, citing procedural concerns surrounding the issuance of the license.[24]
On June 2025, a firearm magazine was discovered in the carry-on luggage of Adviser Asif during a routine security check at Shahjalal International Airport. He was en route to Marrakech, Morocco, to attend the "OIC Youth Capital International" program.[25][26] Asif later stated on Facebook that the magazine was unintentionally packed, claiming it was part of a licensed firearm he uses for personal protection due to previous attacks linked to his political activities. He asserted that, lacking official security, he lawfully carries a weapon for the safety of himself and his family.[27] Downplaying the incident, Bangladesh's Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated, "It was a magazine, not an AK-47," when questioned by reporters following a law and order core committee meeting at the Secretariat.[28] He added that an investigation is underway to determine how the magazine went undetected during initial airport screening.[29][30] According to Bangladesh firearm rules, any post holder equivalent to a minister can use a firearm without age restrictions.[31][32]
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