PM reportedly asks Ishraque to resign from cabinet, state minister snubs 'false news'

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has asked State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain to resign from the cabinet after he sparked controversy by taking part in an anti-drug drive while carrying a firearm.

Several high-ups of the government said the prime minister summoned Ishraque after a cabinet meeting at the secretariat on Sunday afternoon and instructed him to resign.

However, no official statement on the matter has yet been issued.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and Ishraque's team said reports circulating in the media and on social media related to the issue were “completely false and baseless.”

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On Saturday afternoon, Dhaka-6 MP Ishraque Hossain took part in an anti-drug drive in the Dayaganj Guntighar rail gate area near Gendaria railway station in the capital. Those accompanying him were also carrying firearms.

After a video of the incident went viral on social media, it triggered widespread discussion and criticism. 

The incident also caused unease and discontent within the BNP and the government. 

Against this backdrop, the prime minister reportedly asked Ishraque to leave the cabinet just a day after the incident.

According to sources within the BNP and the government, there was no objection to efforts to combat drugs, but it was unacceptable for a state minister to personally take part in a drive while carrying a firearm.

Questions were raised about why he took up arms himself rather than mobilising the administration to tackle drugs. 

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The state minister’s actions were particularly embarrassing for the government at a time when the prime minister has been making surprise visits to hospitals, educational institutions and government residential areas in the capital to assess conditions.

A member of the BNP’s National Executive Committee said the incident has gone beyond being a personal matter for Ishraque and also embarrassed the prime minister and other cabinet members.

“The cabinet will also have to bear responsibility for the conduct of a state minister,” the BNP leader said.

Statement from the ministry

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs said reports circulating in various media outlets and on social media claiming that State Minister Ishraque Hossain resigned or was instructed to resign were “completely false and baseless”.

“The fact is that the state minister is diligently carrying out his official and political responsibilities. No instruction has been given to him by the government’s top leadership to resign, and there is no question of his resignation,” the ministry said in a press statement on Sunday night.

“A certain quarter is spreading such fictitious and false information to serve its political interests and create confusion among the public,” read the statement. 

The ministry urged media outlets that published the “misleading” reports to withdraw them immediately and publish the correct information.

It also warned that legal action would be taken against those spreading misinformation.