Asif Mahmud

Asif Mahmud was born on 14 July 1998 to a Bengali Muslim Bhuiyan family in the village of Aqubpur in Muradnagar, Comilla District. He was the son of Mohammad Billal Hossain and Rukhsana Begum. Mahmud studied at Nakhalpara Hossain Ali High School in Dhaka and completed his secondary education there.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-08 |title=Meet the 2 students who are now advisers to Bangladesh's interim govt |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/meet-2-students-who-are-now-advisors-bangladesh-interim-govt-912496 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=The Business Standard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815072758/https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/meet-2-students-who-are-now-advisors-bangladesh-interim-govt-912496 |archive-date=2024-08-15 |language=en}} Afterwards, he studied at Adamjee Cantonment College, where he served as the Cadet Sergeant of the college's BNCC Club. He was a student of the 2017–18 academic session in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Dhaka.{{Cite news |title=কোটাসংস্কার আন্দোলনের সমন্বয়ক আসিফের বাবা মর্গে ছেলের লাশ খুঁজে বেড়াচ্ছেন |url=https://www.dailynayadiganta.com/last-page/850594/-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B6-%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%81%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8|access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Daily Naya Diganta|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806084417/https://www.dailynayadiganta.com/last-page/850594/-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B6-%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%81%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8 |archive-date=6 August 2024 |language=bn}} He is currently studying for a Master's degree at the North South University.{{cite news |title=Asif Mahmud passes masters admission test at NSU |url=https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/education/asif-mahmud-passes-masters-admission-test-at-nsu |work=The Financial Express |date=30 April 2025 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Adviser Asif Mahmud takes part in masters admission test at North South University |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/adviser-asif-mahmud-takes-part-masters-admission-test-north-south-university-1125891 |access-date=19 May 2025 |work=The Business Standard |date=25 April 2025 |language=en}}

Mahmud was one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement opposing quotas in government jobs, which evolved into a campaign to remove Hasina from power.{{cite news |last1=Mashal |first1=Mujib |title=She Thought Her Grip Was Unbreakable. Bangladeshis Would Prove Otherwise. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/world/asia/bangladesh-protest-sheikh-hasina.html |work=The New York Times |date=5 August 2024}} He along with Nahid Islam and others gained national recognition in mid-July 2024 when he and several other Dhaka University students were detained by police{{cite news |last1=Report |first1=Star Digital |title=3 quota protest organisers 'picked up' from hospital |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/rights/news/3-quota-protest-organisers-picked-hospital-3662756 |work=The Daily Star |date=26 July 2024 |language=en}} as the protests became violent.{{cite news |title=Quota protest coordinators Asif, Nahid, Baker 'taken into DB custody for security reasons' |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/quota-protest-coordinators-asif-nahid-baker-allegedly-picked-db-men-hospital-db-denies |work=The Business Standard |date=26 July 2024 |language=en}}

In the aftermath, on August 5, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.{{cite news |last1=Hasnat |first1=Saif |last2=Mashal |first2=Mujib |last3=Bigg |first3=Matthew Mpoke |title=Bangladesh's Leader Resigns and Flees Country After Protests |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/08/05/world/bangladesh-protests |work=The New York Times |date=5 August 2024}} Nahid stated that their goals weren't fully met, and following Hasina's resignation, the group aimed to "abolish fascist systems forever".{{cite news |last1=Report |first1=Star |title=One demand now |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/one-demand-now-3668981 |work=The Daily Star |date=4 August 2024 |language=en}} Mahmud and his organisation called Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead an interim government.{{cite news |title=Two student coordinators take oath as advisors |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/rlacb458dn |work=Prothom Alo |date=9 August 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/bangladesh-unrest-know-whos-who-in-interim-government/article68505107.ece | title=Bangladesh Crisis: Bangladesh unrest: Know who's who in Muhammad Yunus-led interim government | newspaper=The Hindu }}

Mahmud began his career when he, along with another coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, Nahid Islam, was appointed as an adviser in the 2024 interim government of Bangladesh.{{cite news |title=Two student leaders to be advisors of interim government |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/s1gw90p3ut |work=Prothom Alo |date=8 August 2024 |language=en}} In this capacity, he took on dual responsibilities, serving as the Adviser for Youth and Sports and overseeing the Labour and Employment Ministry.{{cite news |title=Nahid gets ICT Ministry, Asif to head Sports Ministry |url=https://www.banglanews24.com/english/politics/news/bd/153028.details |work=banglanews24.com |date=9 August 2024 |language=bn}} He was subsequently transferred from the Labour and Employment Ministry to the Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Ministry on 10 November, 2024.{{Cite web |last=C |first=S |date=2024-11-11 |title=3 surprise picks sworn in as advisers |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/3-surprise-picks-sworn-advisers-3749716 |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}

In April 2025, Mahmud's assistant personal secretary Moazzem Hossain was removed and barred from the Ministry following allegations of corruption.{{Cite web |last=প্রতিবেদক |first=নিজস্ব |date=2025-04-21 |title=সরিয়ে দেওয়া হলো দুই উপদেষ্টার দুই ব্যক্তিগত কর্মকর্তাকে |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/3nme4hlvl3 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Prothomalo |language=bn}}

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{{Quota reform movement in Bangladesh}}

Category:People from Comilla District

Category:Adamjee Cantonment College alumni

Category:University of Dhaka alumni

Category:Coordinators of Anti-discrimination Students Movement

Category:1998 births

Category:Living people

Category:Yunus interim government advisors

Category:Bangladeshi activists

Category:Bangladeshi anti-fascists