Two swift resignations test Tarique’s resolve to enforce discipline within BNP

The message came swiftly: three days after appearing in a video carrying a firearm during an anti-drug drive, Ishraque Hossain resigned as state minister.

Eighteen days earlier, lawmaker Ferdousy Ahmed Mishti had resigned from parliament after being linked to an alleged attack on a clinic in Dhaka’s Mirpur.

Both departures followed instructions from Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, raising a question: is the ruling party signalling that misconduct will carry consequences, even for its own leaders?

Ishraque, the Dhaka-6 MP and state minister for Liberation War affairs, drew criticism after posting a Facebook video on Saturday showing him and his entourage carrying firearms during an “anti-drug operation” in his Gendaria neighbourhood.

On Monday, he announced his resignation, saying he did not want the BNP or government to be “embarrassed” by him or the prime minister’s work to be “overshadowed”.

Mishti resigned on Oct 1 after her name surfaced in connection with an attack, looting, vandalism and an attempted takeover at the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur.

Political analyst Altaf Parvez said the party chairman and prime minister was signalling that unethical conduct would not be tolerated.

“There will be a warning throughout the party, down to the grassroots, that people cannot get away with doing these things. They have to be careful and stay within limits,” he said.

Researcher and analyst Mohiuddin Ahmad said Tarique was trying to restore discipline and hoped others would learn from the cases.

A Lesson in Responsible Conduct

Mohiuddin said Ishraque had not lost his job simply for joining an “anti-drug operation”, but because of his behaviour.

“Tarique is trying to restore discipline within the party. There is disorder everywhere; everyone is doing as they please. As a result, the party is being discredited. He is addressing this,” he said.

“He did not have to resign for conducting an operation against drugs. He had to resign for jumping around with a gun in his hand; it was because of his behaviour. By taking action against such behaviour, the party is trying to restore discipline. If others learn a lesson from this…”

Parvez, however, said the punishment appeared disproportionate. He did not regard Ishraque’s actions as a major crime, suggesting the young politician may have acted out of enthusiasm to control drugs.

“I do not see the minister’s offence as something very serious. He is young and perhaps went to control drugs with some enthusiasm. Personally, I do not think he committed something so grave that he had to resign outright,” Parvez said.

He noted widespread criticism on social media, in newspapers and across other media.

The BNP might want to keep its cabinet fresh and above criticism, he suggested, which could explain why Ishraque was asked to resign or chose to do so. Parvez also suspected internal party politics might be involved.

“It is right to go on an operation with law-enforcing agencies and use them; he also showed off a little. But this is not a case of serious wrongdoing or corruption. In that sense, I would say he committed a relatively minor offence and received a severe punishment.”

Parvez said at least one other cabinet member had faced credible criticism and reports of wrongdoing without a similarly forceful response.

He believed the two resignations would make party workers and organisers more cautious and less willing to become embroiled in controversy.

“In that sense, this will be good for the BNP. But the problems caused by the BNP government’s lack of competence cannot be solved in this way.”

Good Intentions, Flawed Methods

Prof Nizam Uddin Ahmed, a researcher on parliamentary affairs, said brandishing a firearm in public was a serious offence for a minister, who had a greater duty to behave responsibly.

“Displaying a firearm publicly is a reprehensible offence for a minister. He needed to behave more responsibly. This can set an example for others. Those who speak in certain ways will have to be more careful,” he said.

Nizam said Ishraque may have acted with good intentions but used the wrong means and had to face the consequences.

The former Chittagong University public administration teacher added that losing his ministerial post might have opened the way for Ishraque, son of former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, to pursue a mayoral election.

Mushtuq Husain, a Standing Committee member of Bangladesh JaSaD and former Dhaka University Central Students’ Union general secretary, said the premier had the constitutional right to remove a cabinet member or ask them to resign with dignity. Direct dismissals were less common.

“A member of the cabinet must face punishment and redress if they do wrong. There have been many such incidents under previous governments; some were justified and reasonable,” he said.

Mushtuq described Ishraque’s removal as justified, saying the minister had become a symbol of using weapons to flaunt muscle and authority.

“If others in the ruling party become cautious and alert because of him, we will see a positive result. So, asking this state minister to resign seems entirely justified to me. He committed a serious wrong,” he said.

He added that an institutional response could bring benefits and give people some relief from abuses by the ruling party. People had wanted a democratic government to establish the rule of law.

A Longer Record of Departures

During the Awami League’s 15 years in power from 2009 to 2024, Latif Siddique, Sohel Taj, Abul Hossain and Murad Hasan resigned.

Under the BNP-led government from 2001 to 2006, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin and Nazmul Huda left the cabinet.

During HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party government (1982-1990), Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Anwar Zahid and Sirajul Hossain Khan also lost ministerial posts.

The analysts declined to equate those cases with the current government’s actions. They agreed, however, that the latest resignations show Tarique is determined to impose discipline in a changed political climate.

Whether that standard is applied evenly remains an open question.