Two student representative advisers in the interim government were reportedly advised by top-level authorities to resign by mid-September. However, both requested more time. The advisers in question are Mahfuz Alam, Adviser for Information and Broadcasting, and Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Adviser for Local Government, according to sources within the administration.

Insiders say Mahfuz Alam has shown no interest in contesting the upcoming national elections and prefers to continue in his advisory role. Asif Mahmud, on the other hand, might step down before the announcement of the election schedule. No final decision has yet been made in either case.

Attempts to reach the two advisers for comments were unsuccessful. However, on August 14, Asif Mahmud told reporters that he intended to resign before the election schedule was made public. Meanwhile, on September 28, Mahfuz Alam said at a public event, “For two months, I’ve been in uncertainty about when I should step down. Honestly, I still don’t know when that will happen.”

Following the fall of the Awami League government during the July 5, 2024 mass uprising, the interim administration led by Professor Muhammad Yunus was formed on August 8. The Advisory Council currently includes 23 members, including the Chief Adviser and two student representatives.

According to sources, student leaders want at least one student representative to remain in the council, fearing possible conspiracies against them if both step down.

When the interim government was formed, Md. Nahid Islam served as one of the student representatives. He resigned on February 25 to become the convener of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), a group founded by young leaders of the July uprising.

Mahfuz Alam initially joined the administration as a special assistant to the Chief Adviser on August 28, 2024, and was sworn in as an adviser on November 10. He was later assigned to oversee the information portfolio after Nahid Islam’s resignation.

Asif Mahmud originally handled the Labour and Youth & Sports ministries before being reassigned to the Local Government Ministry in November following the death of adviser A.F. Hasan Arif. He currently oversees both Local Government and Sports affairs.

Observers believe both student advisers maintain close ties with the NCP and often act as its informal consultants. On October 14, amid the controversy surrounding the signing of the National Charter, the National Consensus Commission held an informal meeting with NCP representatives, reportedly attended by one of the student advisers.

NCP leaders, however, argue that since the interim government included advisers nominated by various political groups, asking only the two student representatives to step down is unfair. They reportedly raised this concern in a recent meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

Political analysts say the growing speculation about the Advisory Council is damaging to the image of both the government and Professor Yunus. Researcher and writer Mohiuddin Ahmed noted that such controversies could undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the interim government. He added that the two student advisers should either resign or publicly declare that they will not contest the elections and have no formal or informal ties with the NCP.

It is expected that the 13th National Parliamentary Election will take place in early February 2025, with the official schedule likely to be announced in early December. In this tense pre-election atmosphere, debates surrounding the Advisory Council have become a major topic in national politics.