Dhaka: Asif Mahmud Bhuiyan, a prominent student leader who played a pivotal role in the July 2024 uprising that led to the ouster of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is now facing severe legal scrutiny for alleged financial irregularities. Bangladesh’s anti-corruption unit has officially launched an investigation against the 28-year-old leader, accusing him of extortion and laundering illicit funds abroad.
According to a senior official from the investigating agency, massive corruption took place in the allocation of government contracts and official appointments during Mahmud’s 16-month tenure as the Advisor for Youth and Sports. The official confirmed that four other individuals are suspected of operating within the graft syndicate alongside the former minister. The sweeping probe has been initiated under the current administration led by Tarique Rahman.
Quoting the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, reports highlight Mahmud’s rapid but turbulent political ascent. Alongside fellow leader Nahid Islam, Mahmud was the primary face of the student-led protests in mid-2024. What began as a campus movement quickly evolved into a nationwide agitation by late July, eventually forcing Sheikh Hasina to flee on August 5, 2024. Prior to her departure, Hasina had publicly alleged that the student leaders were operating with financial backing from the United States.
Following the regime change, both Mahmud and Islam were inducted as advisors in the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The duo has since founded and currently operates the National Citizen Party.
However, Mahmud’s brief political career has been heavily marred by administrative indiscretions. A native of Comilla district and an alumnus of Dhaka University, he faced severe public backlash in March 2025 after allegedly awarding a lucrative departmental contract to his own father, drawing widespread criticism for nepotism. In a separate incident, the young minister deeply embarrassed the interim administration after being intercepted with a firearm at an airport.
The latest corruption and money laundering charges mark a stark fall from grace for the youth icon, who once spearheaded the anti-authoritarian and anti-corruption movement on the streets of Dhaka. Investigating authorities are now actively tracing the international financial trails of the alleged extorted funds.