Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, has issued a public apology following revelations that a contractor’s licence had been issued in his father's name — a development he described as an “unintentional mistake.”
In a post from his verified Facebook page on Thursday (24 April), he stated that he had learnt of the licence only after being contacted by a journalist the previous evening.
“Around 9pm, a journalist inquired about a contractor’s licence issued in my father's name,” he wrote.
“Upon speaking with my father, I confirmed that he had indeed obtained such a licence from the office of the District Executive Engineer.”
The adviser acknowledged the controversy that followed the media coverage of the incident and said he felt compelled to offer a public explanation.
“My father is a schoolteacher — the headmaster of Yakub Ali Bhuiyan Public High School in Akubpur,” he clarified.
“A local contractor had advised him to apply for the licence, suggesting it would make it easier to obtain government contracts. My father, unaware of the implications, followed the suggestion and obtained the licence.”
Asif Mahmud conceded that while any citizen is entitled to conduct business and obtain necessary licences, the involvement of his father in contracting during his own tenure as a government adviser clearly constituted a conflict of interest.
“Upon explaining the matter to him, my father agreed to withdraw from the arrangement, and the licence was officially cancelled today (Thursday),” Bhuiyan noted.
He further apologised on behalf of his father, saying, “My father may not have understood the ethical implications involved. For that, I sincerely apologise on his behalf.”
The issue gained traction after investigative journalist and human rights activist Zulkarnain Saer, affiliated with Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera, alleged on Wednesday (23 April) that Asif Mahmud's father had obtained the licence.
In his report, Saer stated: “I contacted Adviser Asif Mahmud regarding the matter. Initially, he claimed to be unaware of it and requested time to verify. Later, he confirmed the licence was genuine but had been issued without his knowledge.”
