TDS Desk:

Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, spokesperson for the National Citizens Party (NCP) and former Youth and Sports Advisor, has sent a legal notice to Akhtarul Islam, Public Relations Officer and Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), demanding an unconditional withdrawal of statements claiming preliminary truth to corruption allegations against him.

The notice, issued on Thursday (Sept 10) by Supreme Court advocate Muhammad Rafiqul Islam Joni on behalf of Mahmud, urges the official to formally retract the remarks within 15 days and refrain from making unverified statements in the future. Details of the notice were shared on Mahmud’s verified Facebook page on Friday (Sept 11).

The dispute stems from a September 2 press conference where Islam informed the media that the ACC had found “preliminary evidence” regarding irregularity allegations against Mahmud involving transfers, recruitments, and promotions. The statement led to widespread media coverage and social media traction.

Mahmud asserted that the baseless remarks triggered an intense “media trial” without prior investigation or evidence, damaging his personal and political reputation by implying guilt before due process. Although Islam later admitted to media personnel via a WhatsApp group that the statement was a mistake and requested them to omit the phrase “preliminary evidence,” Mahmud highlighted that no official public retraction was issued.

The legal notice further pointed out key factual discrepancies:

Departmental Transfers: While allegations cited the cancellation of acting roles for 38 Upazila Youth Development Officers, 112 officers had their roles canceled to comply with an Administrative Appellate Tribunal order.

Timeline Mismatch: Charges linked to promoting 150 Assistant Officers occurred on May 11, 2026—five months after Mahmud resigned as advisor on December 10, 2025.

The notice warns that if the ACC spokesperson fails to issue a public retraction within 15 days, legal proceedings will be initiated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation.