Asif Mahmud visits Nila Market for duck meat, Westin if closed

Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said he often goes to Nila Market for duck meat after late-night work, and to the Westin Hotel if it’s closed.

He made the remark on Thursday afternoon (August 14) in response to reporters’ questions about his alleged involvement in the Gulshan extortion case, following the appearance of his name in a video message by Jane Alam Apu, an expelled Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad leader arrested in connection with the incident at a former MP’s residence in Gulshan.

In the video, Apu claimed he met Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan in Gulshan on the day. Responding to this, Asif said he could not recall whether he had been in the area that day.

When asked if he was the helmeted individual seen in the CCTV footage of the extortion incident, Asif questioned, “If someone claims the person in the footage is me, how credible is that?”

Denying any role in the extortion incident, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said, “No one has presented any evidence of my involvement. On the contrary, there is a serious allegation—raised by the victim’s family—that someone was forcibly interviewed at the political leader’s residence, which so far appears credible. Therefore, claims about my involvement are entirely politically motivated.”