PM asked Ishraque to resign over gun controversy, sources say; state minister denies

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has asked State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain to resign following widespread criticism over his public display of a pistol while chasing suspected drug users in Dhaka, two highly placed government sources told Daily Waadaa on Sunday.

Ishraque, however, dismissed the reports as rumours, while his office issued a statement denying that any resignation instruction had been given.

One highly placed source said the prime minister summoned Ishraque following a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon and instructed him to step down.

The source claimed Ishraque subsequently drafted a resignation letter at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) but could not confirm whether he had submitted it.

Another source said Ishraque was not allowed to attend Sunday's cabinet meeting.

The reported move followed a controversy that senior government figures considered a serious embarrassment, according to the sources.

Contacted by Waadaa, Ishraque's personal secretary, Ariful Islam, neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

"Please have patience. Ishraque sir will brief tomorrow," he said.

Asked whether the reported resignation request was intended to clear the way for Ishraque to contest the upcoming Dhaka mayoral election, Ariful laughed.

"Why did you bring up this topic now?" he replied.

Ishraque later sent an audio message to a group of journalists, urging them to dismiss the reports.

"I sincerely request everyone to treat this matter as a rumor. There is no truth to it at this point," he said.

"If we, as a party, make any such decision, then it will be..." he added, before the available recording ended.

His press officer, Mahfuz Kabir Mukta, issued a stronger denial, describing the reports as "false, baseless, fabricated and politically motivated."

The statement insisted that Ishraque continued to perform his official duties and had received no resignation instruction from the government's highest levels.

It accused unnamed quarters of spreading misinformation for political purposes and demanded that media outlets withdraw the reports.

The statement also threatened legal action against those responsible for what it called disinformation.

A pistol, a chase and a police inquiry

The controversy began on Saturday when videos circulated on social media showing Ishraque carrying a pistol and chasing suspected drug users near Gendaria Railway Station in the capital's Dayaganj area.

Several associates accompanied the state minister during the operation, reportedly conducted without prior coordination with local police.

Six people were subsequently handed over to police.

The footage prompted criticism over why a sitting lawmaker and member of the government was personally pursuing suspects with a firearm instead of leaving enforcement to the police.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police ordered an investigation on Sunday.

Detective Branch chief Shafiqul Islam said the deputy commissioner of Wari Division had been assigned to determine whether any laws were broken.

Legal action would follow if the inquiry established wrongdoing, he said.

Ishraque defended his conduct, saying the pistol was licensed and displayed solely for self-defence.

He claimed that 30 to 35 people had approached his motorcade in a threatening manner and that law enforcement agencies had previously warned him about possible attacks.

He denied threatening anyone or firing the weapon.

The state minister said repeated complaints about drug trafficking and inadequate police action had prompted his intervention.

His office maintained that displaying the firearm had been lawful under the circumstances.

The episode nevertheless raised questions about the limits of ministerial authority and whether a firearms licence permits a public officeholder to intervene personally in a law enforcement operation.

Resignation remains unconfirmed

Ishraque, a BNP politician, was previously at the centre of a prolonged political and legal dispute over the Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral position.

His latest controversy comes as the government faces pressure to improve law enforcement and hold public officeholders accountable for their conduct.

Under Article 58(2) of the Constitution, the prime minister may request a state minister's resignation. If the request is refused, the prime minister may advise the president to terminate the appointment.

The constitutional provision gives the prime minister authority to seek Ishraque's removal without requiring him to initiate the process voluntarily.

For now, however, the reported resignation remains unconfirmed officially.

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