‘Have parted with Afil 25 years ago’: Commerce adviser Sk Bashir on ties with brother
Not sure if it’s me, he says on being named accused in July-August uprising murder case
Amid criticisms over the appointment of Sk Bashir Uddin as commerce adviser to the interim government, as his elder brother Sk Afil Uddin was an Awami League lawmaker, Bashir said he has no association with Afil for more than two decades.
"We parted ways 25 years ago in 1999, when the family property and business were divided among the siblings. Afil Uddin is my elder step brother. We do not interfere in each other's activities or business matters," he told The Business Standard on Monday.
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Bashir further said Afil conducts his political and business activities mainly from Jashore, while the rest of the family, including him, are based in Dhaka.
Bashir and Afil are both sons of Sheikh Akijuddin, founder of the country's renowned business conglomerate Akij Group.
In 2022, Sk Bashir Uddin started his own business endeavour, AkijBashir Group.
Sk Bashir Uddin – amid allegations that he has been named as an accused in a murder case – said he was unsure whether it was actually him or someone with a similar name who had been sued.
"I don't know much about it. Our legal team is looking into the matter. There are some inconsistencies in my name and my father's name in the case document. I'm not sure if it's really me or not. If confirmed, the issue will be dealt with legally," he told reporters at the Secretariat yesterday.
Some groups have voiced concern regarding his appointment following reports of the alleged lawsuit against the businessman belonging to AkijBashir Group.
A person named Sheikh Bashir Uddin Bhuiyan is on the accused list in a case filed with Rampura Police Station over the killing of a youth named Sohan Shah, 30, during the July-August student-led uprising that ousted the Sheikh Hasina government.
The identity of the accused was mentioned as a leader of the Awami League. His father's name was mentioned as Sheikh Akij Uddin Bhuiyan.
Speaking to TBS, Sohan's mother Sufia Begum said, "I was devastated after my son died. Some people asked me to sign the case documents, and I signed. I did not know the names on the accused list."
Rampura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ataur Rahman Akand said Bashir's full name does not match the name in the case. However, the address is the same, he said. "We are looking into the matter."
