In August 2025, during the tenure of the interim government, Partho became the subject of public debate following a social media post concerning government adviser Asif Mahmud. The controversy originated from a press briefing where Adviser Asif Mahmud, responding to questions about his late-night activities, stated that he often went to Neela Market in the Purbachal 300 Feet area to eat duck meat after finishing his work. He further explained that on occasions when he found the market closed, he would go to The Westin Dhaka instead. [10]
In response to the growing discussion, Partho published a post on his verified Facebook page, writing,
"Once he searched for rice in the canteen, now he searches for duck in the Westin" (Bengali: এক সময় ভাত খুঁজতো ক্যান্টিনে, এখন হাঁস খুঁজে ওয়েস্টিনে, romanized: Ek shomoy bhat khujto canteen-e, ekhon hash khuje Westin-e). [11]
While the comment was widely shared, Partho himself faced a significant backlash. Critics accused him of elitism and snobbery, pointing out that Partho, who comes from a well-known political family, was targeting an adviser with a background in student politics who did not have the same privileged upbringing. This criticism was articulated by figures such as Sarwar Tushar of the National Citizen's Party (NCP), who accused Partho of exhibiting "blatant class hatred" and suggested he could not "accept that a student leader without any family legacy has become a minister of Bangladesh." [12] The incident broadened the public discourse from the conduct of a single adviser to include themes of class and privilege within Bangladesh's political landscape. [13]
