Adviser Mahfuj, brother dismiss Tk6.5cr Sydney lobbying allegation as 'rumour'

Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam and his brother, National Citizen Party (NCP) Joint Convener Mahbub Alam Mahir, have denied the allegation of a Tk6.5 crore lobbying-related financial transaction in Australia, dismissing it as politically motivated and baseless rumour.

The allegation was made in a Facebook post on Monday (28 July) by an online activist, Boni Amin, who claimed the Australian financial intelligence agency had initiated a probe into a large transaction in Mahbub Alam's bank account in Sydney.

Amin alleged that the money was a "commission-based share" from lobbying activities and accused Mahfuj of laundering funds through his brother by leveraging influence in state projects.

In response, Mahbub Alam dismissed the claims as "rumour" and shared a post on his verified Facebook account in the early hours of Tuesday.

He further warned, "Boni Amin must apologise within the next 24 hours. I am speaking with lawyers in Australia. If necessary, I will take legal action."

What Mahfuj Alam said

Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam also commented on the matter by sharing his brother's post on his verified Facebook page. "Since lobbying came up, let me tell you an incident," he wrote.

He described how a person introduced by a family acquaintance had offered a commission if Mahbub could help secure a BTV tender.

"After I found out, I forbade it. Even with good intentions, the trust of the state cannot be betrayed. Subsequently, that tender work was suspended," he said.

Mahfuj added that the conversation had been recorded and shared with a journalist.

"When the journalist contacted me, I told him, 'Brother, we did not allow this work. And that person did this by talking about the July programme to trap us.' [The journalist] believed me and did not make the recording public," the adviser wrote.

Mahfuj claimed the accusations were part of a political smear campaign.