Despite being named in multiple murder cases tied to the July 2024 killings of student protesters, Abul Foyez Mohammad Alauddin Khan, a senior bureaucrat serving as additional secretary at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs, continues to hold office without suspension or visible administrative action. 

Police records reviewed by Bangla Outlook show his name listed among the accused in at least three separate FIRs filed across Dhaka, raising urgent questions about accountability at the highest levels of the civil service.

The documents — including police case filings from Airport Police Station, Jatrabari Police Station, and Mirpur Model Police Station — list Alauddin Khan among dozens of accused individuals in cases invoking sections of the Penal Code related to unlawful assembly, attempted murder and murder. 

In one case, filed on Nov. 14, 2025, at Airport Police Station, he is listed as accused No. 48 under sections 143, 148, 149, 302, 34 and 109. Another case, filed on Jan. 13, 2026, at Jatrabari Police Station, lists him as accused No. 57 under sections 109, 302 and 34. 

A third case from Mirpur includes charges under sections 143, 307, 326, 109 and 34, again naming him among the accused.

The cases stem from allegations that he was among those involved in violence targeting student protesters during the July 2024 upheaval. The FIR narratives, as seen in the documents, broadly describe coordinated attacks carried out by groups affiliated with political actors.

To verify the identity of the accused, Bangla Outlook contacted the relevant police stations. Officials confirmed that the name listed in the FIRs corresponds to Alauddin Khan, the senior bureaucrat currently serving in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. 

While police declined to comment on the status of the investigation, they did not dispute the inclusion of his name in the cases.

There is no indication in the documents that Alauddin Khan has been arrested in connection with any of the cases. Nor is there evidence that he has been formally suspended from his government position.

Bangla Outlook contacted Alauddin Khan but he refused to talk about this.

His continued presence in the ministry meanwhile raises questions within administrative and cultural circles. Several officials within the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that Alauddin Khan has remained active in decision-making processes, despite the allegations.

“He is still functioning with full authority,” one senior official said. “Files move through him, and he continues to exercise influence over key cultural projects.”

Among those projects is the proposed July Museum, a state-backed initiative taken under the erstwhile interim administration intended to memorialize the events of July 2024. 

Multiple ministry insiders alleged that Alauddin Khan has used bureaucratic procedures to delay the project’s progress.

“There have been repeated administrative hurdles,” said another official familiar with the project. “Approvals are stalled and decisions are deferred. The pattern suggests deliberate obstruction.”

These allegations could not be independently verified, but they were echoed by more than one source within the ministry.

The questions surrounding Alauddin Khan are not limited to the recent criminal cases. His tenure as a director at the National Service Program (NSP) under the Department of Youth Development had previously drawn scrutiny. 

A report published by Jugantor alleged that about 14 crore taka were embezzled during his time in that role.

The report did not result in publicly known legal action against him, but it contributed to concerns about accountability and oversight in financial management during that period.

Political connections may also play a role in his continued tenure, as some of the people who spoke on condition of anonymity told Bangla Outlook. 

Several individuals familiar with internal government dynamics said Alauddin Khan is known to have close ties with Mirza Azam, a prominent leader of the Awami League. 

No official statement has been issued by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs regarding the cases. Requests for comment sent to the ministry were not answered.

Legal experts note that being named in an FIR does not constitute proof of guilt. 

However, they also point out that the scale and severity of the allegations—particularly those involving murder charges—would typically trigger administrative review in many jurisdictions.

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