Asif Mahmud Bhuiyan, Local Government, Youth, and Sports Adviser to the interim government, has addressed the claims labeling Dhaka University Professor and legal adviser Asif Nazrul as an agent of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

Late on Wednesday (December 11), Bhuiyan shared his response in a Facebook post, defending Nazrul against these accusations.

In his post, Bhuiyan wrote, “The individual being accused of being an ‘R&AW agent’ has been the most steadfast supporter of our anti-aggression movement among civil society and academics since 2019.”

He elaborated, “Whether it was the protests against NRC and CAA, the demonstrations over Abrar Fahad’s murder, or anti-aggression campaigns that led to our imprisonment, Asif Nazrul Sir stood by us. Back then, it was just a group of 15-20 students from the campus and Asif Sir.”

Bhuiyan stressed the importance of constructive criticism, saying, “There should be some decorum in criticism—what we call constructive criticism. I refrained from commenting earlier, but after hearing accusations of him being an ‘R&AW agent,’ I can no longer stay silent. According to your conspiracy theories, even our movement—which ultimately led to the downfall of the fascist Hasina regime—was directed by ‘R&AW.’ What a claim!”

Calling for unity, Bhuiyan urged, “Let us be constructive this time. Otherwise, the dream of building a better nation, for which we have made countless sacrifices, will be crushed. That is my humble request to everyone.”

The allegations against Professor Asif Nazrul gained traction following two videos published by U.S.-based Bangladeshi journalist Elias Hossain on November 29 and December 10. The videos, titled “Armed Guerrilla Attacks Planned by Police and Ansar Forces” and “Asif Nazrul Trapped in a Honeytrap,” raised various claims about Nazrul’s involvement in controversial activities. These videos sparked widespread debate, prompting Bhuiyan’s remarks defending his colleague.