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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has reportedly ordered Liberation War Affairs State Minister Engr Ishraque Hossain to resign from the cabinet following controversy over his armed participation in an anti-drug operation in the capital’s Gandaria area.
The order was issued after the prime minister summoned Ishraque following a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon, according to several senior sources close to the government.
However, no official statement on the matter had been issued by a responsible government official as of Sunday night.
Ishraque, a lawmaker from Dhaka-6, joined an anti-drug operation in Gandaria on Saturday, carrying a firearm. Some members of his security team were also armed. Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media, triggering public criticism and reportedly causing discomfort within both the BNP and the government.
People close to the BNP and the government said they had no objection to efforts to combat drugs, but questioned the decision of a state minister to personally take part in an operation while carrying a gun.
They asked why he had taken up a firearm himself instead of mobilising the administration to tackle drug-related activities.
The incident was particularly embarrassing for the government because Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had conducted surprise visits to hospitals, educational institutions and government residential areas across Dhaka to assess cleanliness and service standards.
A member of the BNP National Executive Committee told media that the incident had gone beyond Ishraque’s personal conduct and embarrassed the prime minister and other cabinet members. The cabinet, the member said, would also have to bear responsibility for the conduct of a state minister.
On Saturday morning, Tarique Rahman visited 13 locations in the capital, issuing instructions to officials on improving cleanliness and service delivery and setting deadlines for improvements in some places. The gun incident involving Ishraque occurred later that afternoon.
Some party and government insiders believe the controversy overshadowed positive public discussion of the prime minister’s inspections.
Against this backdrop, the reported resignation order is being viewed as a signal of the prime minister’s tough stance on the conduct and accountability of government members.
The incident took place on Saturday afternoon near the Dayaganj Guntighar railway crossing beside Gandaria Railway Station. A video posted on Ishraque’s own Facebook page shows him getting out of a vehicle, raising a firearm and shouting, “Catch him, catch him, catch him.”
A person beside him can be heard saying, “I will shoot you outright.”
Members of the state minister’s security team then ran after several people. One of them kicked a young man. Some people could be heard pleading, “Sir, I have done nothing. I am a poor man, sir.” Another video shows detainees being handed over to police.
Two privately appointed bodyguards, Tofazzal Hossain and Lavlu, were present alongside a government-provided security guard. The privately appointed guards were also armed. In some portions of the video, the pistol in Ishraque’s hand was blurred, while it was clearly visible in other sections. The identity of the person who threatened to shoot could not be confirmed.
The incident raised questions about whether a state minister could conduct an anti-drug operation while openly displaying a firearm.
Clause 25 of the Home Ministry’s 2025 policy on issuing, renewing and using firearm licences allows licensed weapons to be carried and used for self-defence but prohibits displaying them in a manner that may cause fear or annoyance to others.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is investigating the incident. At a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Sunday, Detective Branch chief Shafiqul Islam said the deputy commissioner of the Wari division had been assigned to investigate whether any laws had been violated. Action would be taken against those responsible if evidence of a breach was found, he said.
Amid the criticism, Ishraque issued a statement on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, saying he had joined a social initiative against drugs organised through a joint decision by police, local political leaders and community representatives.
He said he had previously discussed allegations of drug dealing in several areas of Gandaria with law enforcement agencies. He had also sought to address manpower shortages and establish a permanent police outpost near drug dens, but the problem remained unresolved, he added.
According to Ishraque, he had received information before the operation that drug dealers might fire at them from rooftops. When they reached a temporary drug den, he said, 30 to 35 people approached their convoy in an aggressive manner while shouting.
Fearing a possible attack, he and his government security personnel briefly raised their firearms to protect themselves and others, he claimed. The weapons were lowered once the situation returned to normal.
Ishraque said the firearm he carried was legal and licensed, insisting that he had displayed it solely for self-defence and had not violated any law.
He further claimed that the operation dismantled four or five temporary drug dens and led to the seizure of narcotics, weapons, cash and stolen mobile phones. Six people were detained and handed over to police, he said, accusing some media outlets of presenting a partial picture of the incident. He also pledged to continue anti-drug activities.
Questions remain, however, about whether the operation was coordinated with police beforehand.
On Saturday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Wari division Masud Rana told journalists that the minister had not informed police in advance and that they learned about the operation later. Ishraque himself told the media on Saturday that he had asked police to arrive about 10 minutes after reaching the scene.
The reported order for Ishraque to resign follows another recent case in which a BNP lawmaker was asked to step down after controversy involving people close to her.
Ferdousi Ahmed Misty, a reserved-seat MP from the BNP, resigned after several local BNP and Jubo Dal figures known to be close to her were linked to an attack, looting and demolition at the Radda healthcare centre in Mirpur on September 25. She denied any involvement in the incident.
The episode caused discomfort within the party and the government and raised questions about her political responsibility. Following instructions from Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, Misty submitted her resignation to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on October 1. Parliament subsequently declared her seat vacant.
Less than three weeks after Misty’s resignation, the prime minister has reportedly ordered Ishraque to leave the cabinet over the firearm controversy. In both cases, the reported resignation instructions followed incidents that had embarrassed the party and the government.