Asif visited Salahuddin before joining NCP: Rashed

Prime Minister’s Political Assistant Rashed Khan has claimed that Asif Mahmood visited the residence of the incumbent Home Minister on the night before his resignation to discuss joining the BNP and contesting the election with the party’s electoral symbol, the sheaf of paddy.

In a post on his verified Facebook page late Sunday night, Rashed Khan also claimed that Mahfuj Alam was interested in contesting the election with the BNP.

According to Rashed, the two successively visited the residences of then BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed to discuss joining the party and secure confirmation to contest the election. However, he claimed, the BNP did not want any adviser to the interim government to contest under its electoral symbol.

Rashed said, Asif Mahmood joined the National Citizen Party (NCP) after the BNP showed no interest in him. He praised Mahfuj Alam for maintaining his principles despite not getting an opportunity to join the BNP.

He also claimed that Asif Mahmood had been marginalised within the NCP because of past controversies and his indecision over joining the party.

Rashed further alleged that around a dozen senior NCP leaders had visited Salahuddin Ahmed’s residence seeking an electoral seat-sharing deal, but the BNP was unwilling to allocate more than four seats to the party.

He claimed that the NCP subsequently joined an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami after receiving offers of more seats and election campaign funding.

Describing the NCP’s demand for the Home Minister’s resignation as an unsuccessful campaign, Rashed said the party would be unable to force the minister to resign, even if it continued its movement until the end of the BNP government’s term.

He defended Salahuddin Ahmed, saying the minister had reached his current position through years of struggle, merit and competence.

Rashed also accused Jamaat and the NCP of attempting to pressure the BNP through the resignation campaign to secure a greater share of political benefits, adding that the BNP was focused on rebuilding the state rather than distributing political favours.