Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury says he is unaware how Asif Mahmud, reportedly underage, obtained a firearms license; defends incident as a “mistake.”

Dhaka, June 30 —
Following a controversial incident at the airport involving Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud, Interior Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated he has no knowledge of how Mahmud obtained a firearms license, especially as he has not yet reached the legal age requirement of 30.

The matter came to public attention after Mahmud reportedly entered the airport carrying a firearm magazine during an overseas trip. Addressing the issue after a law and order core committee meeting held Monday at the Secretariat, the interior adviser clarified the situation to reporters, attributing the event to human error.

"Many are saying he had a license for an AK-47. That’s not true. What he had was an empty magazine belonging to one of his licensed pistols, which was accidentally left in his bag," said Chowdhury.

He further compared the oversight to forgetting to take a pair of glasses and accidentally picking up a mobile phone instead — an analogy he used to downplay the severity of the issue. “It was just a mistake. Had he realized it earlier, he would never have taken it with him,” he added.

However, concerns remain regarding how Asif Mahmud obtained a gun license in the first place. Journalists present at the briefing pointed out that under current regulations, individuals must be at least 30 years old to be eligible for a legal firearm license. In response, the interior adviser acknowledged the concern but refrained from giving a direct answer.

“I haven’t reviewed that particular section of the law, so I cannot comment on it,” said Chowdhury.

The incident has raised eyebrows not only for the airport security lapse but also for the broader implications regarding transparency in weapon licensing, especially for government officials. Questions about favoritism, regulatory enforcement, and the accountability of advisers in sensitive security matters have now come under the spotlight.

As public interest in the matter grows, calls for an internal review into the licensing process and airport security protocols are likely to intensify. Despite the interior adviser's attempt to dismiss the incident as a minor lapse, the debate around privilege and proper conduct for public officials remains far from settled.