Arms-brandishing Ishraque’s anti-drug drive stirs outrage

Videos showing State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain carrying a firearm while chasing several people during what he described as an “anti-drug operation” in Gandaria in his constituency have drawn intense scrutiny.

After Ishraque uploaded the videos to his verified Facebook page around 5:15pm yesterday, netizens questioned the display of firearms, taking the law into one’s own hands, and confidence in the police.

In a video captioned “Ishraque’s action: Drug dens demolished, dealers handed over to police”, the minister and several others were seen getting out of a vehicle and chasing a group of people.

Ishraque and another individual were carrying firearms. Parts of the firearm were blurred in one of the videos.

At one point, Ishraque was heard shouting “halt” while communicating over a walkie-talkie. He also said any discussion would take place only after police arrived.

A man wearing jeans and a shirt was seen pointing a firearm at several people at the scene and kicking an unidentified individual.

Sources identified him as one of the minister’s guards. Several members of the entourage were also seen apprehending at least three people.

The minister was accompanied by two privately appointed bodyguards, Tofazzal Hossain and Lavlu, as well as a government-appointed security guard, according to sources.

His privately appointed guards were also carrying firearms, while the government-appointed guard was seen pointing a firearm at people at the scene.

Another video showed police officers handcuffing several people and taking them away.

According to Ishraque’s Facebook post, the operation targeted drug dens near the Gandaria railway line.

Gandaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman Khan told The Daily Star that the minister’s security guard had informed police around 3:30pm that several suspected drug users had been detained.

“A patrol team was sent to the spot, and six people were detained,” he said.

Asked whether police personnel at the scene had seen the minister carrying a firearm, the OC said he had questioned those present, but they told him they had not seen a weapon in the minister’s hand.

“However, I have also seen the weapon in his hand in the video,” he added.

Repeated attempts by The Daily Star to contact Ishraque, also the MP for Dhaka-6, for comment were unsuccessful.

However, speaking to Prothom Alo, the minister said the firearm he was carrying was licensed, and he obtained it after Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi was shot on December 12, 2025. As he acquired the firearm after that date, he could not include it in his election nomination papers, he said.

The deadline for submitting nomination papers was December 29, 2025, and Ishraque submitted his papers on December 28.

Explaining why he carried the firearm during the operation, Ishraque said residents of the area around Dayaganj Ghuntighar, adjacent to Gandaria railway station, had repeatedly complained about the drug trade.

“I have held meetings with the police at least 30 to 40 times. They give different explanations each time, saying they lack manpower and vehicles,” he said.

He also claimed that several police personnel had been shot while conducting raids in the area.

The minister said police had yet to recover fully from the aftermath of the July uprising and that drug traders sometimes fired at law enforcers from a distance. This, he said, was why he carried a firearm during the operation.

“I did not fire it, nor did I use it to intimidate anyone. Yes, we conducted the operation, and we are building a social resistance [against drugs],” he said.

Former inspector general of police Baharul Alam said firearms could be used only when there was a threat to life or public safety. Displaying a firearm in a manner that caused fear or discomfort to others was prohibited, he said.

Under the Firearms Licence, Renewal and Use Policy 2025, a licence holder may carry or use a licensed firearm for self-defence but cannot display it in a way that causes fear or discomfort to others.

The policy also states that guards at financial institutions and other establishments cannot display firearms in public without wearing uniforms.

It further prohibits licence holders from being employed as armed guards to protect other people or their property, warning that such employment could lead to immediate revocation of the licence.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, said a firearms licence was issued for personal protection, not to apprehend or punish suspected offenders.

“Taking the law into one’s own hands is an offence for any citizen. When an elected representative and a minister does so, it is even more serious,” he told The Daily Star.

He said such actions amounted to an abuse of power and sent the wrong message that anyone could take the law into their own hands.

“It also demonstrates a lack of confidence in the police on the part of the government. If a minister takes such action, what is the role of the police?” he asked.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh “vehemently rejected” such actions by Ishraque. “Through this reprehensible act, he has effectively promoted terrorism,” the party said in a statement.