State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain has been instructed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to resign over his participation in an armed anti-drug operation in Dhaka, according to senior government sources, but the minister’s office has categorically denied that any such directive was issued.
The conflicting accounts emerged on Sunday, a day after a video showing Ishraque brandishing a firearm during an anti-narcotics drive in Gendaria went viral, triggering criticism and questions about the conduct of a cabinet member.
Multiple high-level government sources said the prime minister summoned Ishraque to the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon, following a cabinet meeting, and instructed him to step down.
However, in a statement issued later in the day, Ishraque’s press officer, Mahfuz Kabir Mukta, described reports that the state minister had resigned or been asked to resign as “entirely false, baseless, fabricated, and politically motivated”.
“No directive for his resignation has been issued by the higher echelons of the government, and the question of his resignation does not arise,” the statement said.
The conflicting claims could not be independently reconciled.
No official announcement confirming a resignation order had been provided in the material available at the time of reporting.
Political controversy
The controversy began on Saturday afternoon when Ishraque, also the MP for Dhaka-6, personally participated in an anti-drug operation near the Dayaganj Ghuntighar railway crossing, close to Gendaria railway station.
A video uploaded to his Facebook page showed him stepping out of a vehicle with a pistol in his hand and shouting, “Catch them, catch them, catch them!”
Armed bodyguards accompanying the state minister then rushed towards several individuals.
One security guard was seen kicking a young man, while someone at the scene was heard threatening to shoot.
The identity of the person who made the threat has not been established.
Several of those detained were heard protesting their innocence. They were subsequently handed over to police.
The footage sparked questions about whether a state minister should personally conduct an armed operation instead of directing the police and other law enforcement agencies to act.
Embarrassment within government
According to sources within the BNP and the government, Ishraque’s conduct caused unease among senior officials and party leaders.
While there was no objection to efforts to combat drug trafficking, the sources said a state minister personally participating in an operation while carrying a firearm was considered unacceptable.
They questioned why Ishraque had not relied on the administration and police to carry out the operation.
The controversy unfolded on the same day that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman made surprise visits to 13 locations across Dhaka, inspecting cleanliness and public services at hospitals, educational institutions and government residential areas.
Some party and government figures believe the firearm incident overshadowed the prime minister’s visits.
Sources interpreted the reported resignation directive as a possible attempt to reinforce accountability among members of the government.
Minister’s office threatens legal action
In its statement, Ishraque’s office insisted that he remained engaged in his official and political responsibilities.
It accused unspecified groups of spreading misinformation to serve political interests and create public confusion.
The statement also defended Ishraque’s conduct during Saturday’s operation, maintaining that he displayed a legally held firearm for self-defence.
It called on media outlets that reported his resignation or a directive to resign to withdraw those reports immediately.
The minister’s office warned that legal action would be taken against those responsible for spreading what it described as false information.
Police investigating firearm display
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
At a press conference on Sunday, Detective Branch chief Shafiqul Islam said the deputy commissioner of DMP’s Wari Division had been assigned to examine the matter.
He said investigators would determine whether any laws had been violated and that action would follow if evidence of wrongdoing emerged.
Under Clause 25 of the Home Ministry’s 2025 firearms licensing policy, licensed firearms may be carried or used for self-defence but must not be displayed in a manner likely to cause fear or distress to others.
Ishraque has maintained that his firearm was legally licensed and that he did not fire any shots or use the weapon to threaten anyone.