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The High Court has dropped from its cause list a writ petition filed by National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan challenging the legality of a briefing by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Asif had filed the petition challenging the ACC’s statement that it had found “prima facie truth” in corruption allegations against him.
The bench of Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty and Justice SK Tahsin Ali passed the order on Tuesday (September 29) after holding an initial hearing on the writ.
The petition challenged the legality of the ACC briefing and its subsequent publication in the media at the beginning of an investigation into allegations of corruption and irregularities against Asif.
It also sought directions preventing the ACC from holding potentially defamatory press briefings regarding matters under investigation or inquiry.
The ACC chairman, its deputy director (public relations officer) and assistant director (public relations officer) were made respondents in the petition.
According to the writ, an ACC deputy director said at a press conference at the commission’s headquarters on September 2 that the ACC had decided to investigate allegations of “transfer, appointment and promotion trading” involving former adviser Asif Mahmud and others after finding “prima facie truth” in the allegations.
The petition argued that under the ACC law, “prima facie truth” can be determined as the outcome of an inquiry, and that the commission has no legal authority to make such a statement at the beginning of an investigation.
The petition further said the ACC secretary later described the statement as a “slip of the tongue” on September 9, while the official concerned acknowledged in a WhatsApp group for journalists that it was an inadvertent mistake. However, no formal and clear retraction was made public, it claimed.
Despite a legal notice sent on September 10, another ACC official held a press conference on September 13, where further allegations were raised involving the appointment of the DNCC administrator, posting of deputy commissioners, WASA, LGED, development project tenders and alleged money laundering abroad.
Asif denied the allegations in his writ petition, describing them as false and baseless.
He argued that the cancellation of his additional charge at the Ministry of Youth and Sports followed an order of the ministry issued in light of a judgment by the Administrative Appellate Tribunal.
He also said the promotion of 150 assistant youth development officers took effect on May 11, 2026—nearly five months after his resignation on December 11, 2025—making his involvement legally and factually impossible, according to the petition.
The writ further alleged that the ACC briefings were intended to damage his social and political standing and conduct a “media trial” after he announced his candidacy for the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral election. It claimed the briefings violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 31 of the Constitution and the Information Disclosure Policy, 2011.
