A live-streamed anti-drug operation by state minister for liberation war affairs, Ishraque Hossain, has drawn criticism and online ridicule, with critics questioning why a sitting minister was chasing suspected drug dealers with a weapon rather than leaving law enforcement to the police.
Videos posted on the BNP lawmaker's Facebook page on October 17 showed Ishraque and his associates carrying what appeared to be firearms during an operation in a slum beside a railway line in Gandaria, Dhaka.
Daily Waadaa could not independently verify whether the weapons were real.
The footage showed the minister confronting and detaining several people suspected of involvement in drug dealing. Ishraque later said six people had been detained and handed over to police.
“Stop!! You are destroying the city,” the lawmaker was seen shouting at the suspects.
The operation was presented as part of his campaign to rid his Dhaka-6 constituency of drugs.
But its dramatic presentation, including the apparent display of weapons and the live broadcast, prompted sharp criticism on social media. Others supported the crackdown, however, reflecting public concern over the drug trade.
Investigative journalist Zulkarnaen Saer criticised the operation as counterproductive for the government, saying it risked turning the ruling party into an object of public ridicule while the prime minister was trying to build a positive image.
“While the head of government is trying to build a positive public image, such foolish actions are undermining those efforts and turning the ruling party into a laughing stock in the eyes of the public,” Saer posted on Facebook sharing Ishraque’s live video.
Digital rights and information researcher Minhaj Aman mocked the footage, asking whether it was the effect of watching too many Tamil films.
Journalist Rafsan Galib questioned the spectacle of an elected lawmaker and government minister chasing citizens with a pistol.
“What could be more frightening than seeing an MP, a state minister and a lawmaker chasing citizens with a pistol?” he wrote on social media.
NCP leader Sarjis Alam also joined the trolling, referring to a previous controversy involving a weapon associated with former interim government adviser Asif Mahmud. “Is Asif Mahmud's weapon with Ishraque bhai now?” he wrote.
Criticism also focused on the presence of children in the area. Facebook commentator Azaher Uddin Anik said children could be seen running nearby while the minister moved around with what appeared to be a pistol. He compared the scene to the chaotic final sequence of a Bangla action film and questioned whether ministers and lawmakers should personally take part in such operations.
BNP activist Ershad Nabil Khan called Ishraque immature, saying his conduct showed a lack of judgement expected of someone holding public office.
Ishraque, however, defended the campaign against drugs. In a statement, he said he had been gathering intelligence for six months and vowed to continue operations until his constituency was free of drugs. He also said members of his own party would face harsher punishment if found involved in the trade.