Asif joins the Jamaat alliance solely to escape charges: Rashed Khan

Rashed Khan, the Prime Minister's Political Assistant (holding the rank of Secretary), has commented on the corruption allegations facing Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, a spokesperson and former advisor of the National Citizens' Party (NCP). He claims that Asif Mahmud joined the Jamaat alliance solely to secure immunity from corruption charges and political pressure, and to protect himself.

Rashed Khan made these remarks in a post on his verified Facebook account on Sunday (September 13).

In the post, Rashed Khan claimed that when Asif Mahmud held an anti-Jamaat stance, the allegations against him were treated as factual. According to him, the Jamaat Amir had previously denied Asif Mahmud a nomination for the Dhaka-10 constituency—despite a request from Dr. Muhammad Yunus—precisely because of those corruption allegations.

Rashed Khan asserted that now that Asif Mahmud has aligned himself with the Jamaat alliance, the very same allegations are being dismissed as baseless. He remarked that whether an individual is deemed guilty or innocent seems to depend on whether or not they are associated with Jamaat.

He further claimed that an association with Jamaat effectively wipes away all allegations against a person, portraying them as blameless. Rashed Khan suggested that this is the reason Asif Mahmud joined the Jamaat alliance—to gain immunity from the charges against him.

He also commented on Asif Mahmud's political stance in the Facebook post, claiming that the situation could shift again should the NCP withdraw from the Jamaat alliance in the future.

Rashed Khan also touched upon the Dhaka South City Corporation election. He claimed that Asif Mahmud shifted his focus from the Dhaka South City Corporation to the North to ensure his political safety and might eventually extend his support to Jamaat leader Selim Uddin.

However, these statements by Rashed Khan represent his personal political views and claims. The remarks did not present independently verified information regarding the veracity of the allegations against Asif Mahmud or the actual reasons behind his decision to join the Jamaat alliance.