Gazi Ashraful Afsar Sohel was born in Munshigonj, Bangladesh on 13 August 1979. He works as a cricket umpire and stands in domestic and international fixtures.
His international career reached a key point in November 2018 when he joined the ICC International Panel of Umpires. The following month, he debuted as an international umpire during the West Indies tour of Bangladesh. He later umpired his first One Day International match in January 2021 between Bangladesh and the West Indies, and he officiated at the 2022 Asia Cup.
Sohel has handled 14 One Day Internationals from 2021 to 2026 and 43 Twenty20 Internationals from 2018 to 2026. He also officiated 5 Women One Day Internationals and 7 Women Twenty20 Internationals between 2012 and 2024.
Domestic commitments included matches in the Bangladesh Premier League between 2012 and 2017. He also faced tough moments in Dhaka Premier League matches involving controversial decisions, such as one game between Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club that stopped after umpires walked off following abuse from players and supporters over a stumping call.
In July and August 2023, Sohel worked as an on-field umpire in the Lanka Premier League. This made him the second Bangladeshi umpire to officiate matches in a foreign Twenty20 franchise league. He was also named as one of the sixteen match officials for the 2024 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.