Advisor’s Helicopter Luxury Costs 22 Lakhs for Distributing Blankets Worth 20 Lakhs

Staff Reporter

From December 24 to 26, Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud distributed winter clothes to the cold-stricken people of Kurigram district as part of an official tour. During this trip, a pending payment of 21,26,700 Taka for the helicopter rental was noted, for which an inter-ministerial letter has been sent.

According to sources from the Kurigram District Relief and Rehabilitation Office, a total of 27 lakh Taka was allocated for purchasing 1800 blankets and winter clothes for 23,29,161 people across the 9 Upazilas of the district. Each Upazila was allotted 3 lakh Taka.

In the second phase, Asif Mahmud went to distribute the blankets. He received an allocation of 10,000 blankets and 22 lakh Taka for distribution across 9 Upazilas. On December 24 and 25, during his two-day visit, he distributed blankets and money in six Upazilas, using a helicopter to travel between the areas. However, on the third day, he had to return to Dhaka without distributing blankets due to a fire incident at the Secretariat on the morning of December 26.

An inter-ministerial letter, which spread on social media, revealed that the total cost of the helicopter rental for this trip amounted to 21,26,700 Taka. Out of this, 8,73,585 Taka was paid on January 12 through the mentioned letter. The remaining amount is still pending with the helicopter service provider.

On the same trip, 20 lakh Taka was spent on distributing 10,000 blankets, each worth 200 Taka, and an additional 22 lakh Taka was allocated for winter clothes. This has raised questions on social media about the unnecessary spending of 22 lakh Taka on the helicopter rental by an advisor.

Many people are asking, if those who came to power promising reforms are indulging in such luxuries, what message are they sending to the public? Even if it were for distributing flood relief, there would have been justification, but to use a helicopter in the dry season for distributing blankets to cold-stricken people is seen as wasteful. Is this the reform they promised?

In addition, another controversial piece of information has spread on social media.

Advisor Asif Mahmud, using ministry funds, bought the most expensive rackets and feathers from sports equipment vendors for playing badminton with his friends. Four rackets were bought for 80,000 Taka (20,000 Taka each), and feathers worth 8,000 Taka per box were also purchased. There has been significant criticism of his expensive jackets and sneakers worth lakhs of Taka.

Many are raising questions about how someone who led a movement in July wearing old jeans, T-shirts, and torn sandals, and supposedly had no money to buy a mobile phone, now has so much money. Is this drastic change in his lifestyle and clothing in line with the salary of an advisor? Some have even referred to this as ‘poverty syndrome.’

Asif Mahmud, wearing a jacket and sneakers worth lakhs, participated in various public meetings in the northern region while distributing aid, where he also engaged in public relations on behalf of the student movement. In these meetings, he reportedly spoke about reforms in the country, financial wastage by the Awami government, corruption, interim government reforms, and measures to reduce expenditure for the welfare of the state, along with initiatives from his ministry.