Ishraque Hossain has once again defended his actions during the controversial armed anti-narcotics operation, at a press conference called to announce his resignation as State Minister for Liberation War Affairs.
“If I made any mistake, or if I hurt anyone through this operation, I would first like to apologise for that. But I firmly believe that I did nothing wrong that day. I kept the firearm in my hand only for as long as necessary to protect myself. After that, it was no longer visible in my possession,” he said.
The press conference was held at the National Press Club in the capital on Monday afternoon. Ishraque arrived at the club’s Abdus Salam Hall with party activists at around 1.45 pm to attend the previously announced event.
His supporters chanted various slogans in his name. The press conference began at around 2:00 pm.
Speaking about his resignation, Ishraque said, “As of today, I have voluntarily sought release from my responsibilities as State Minister for the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs from the honourable Prime Minister. I told him that I wanted to work throughout this period to eliminate drugs in Dhaka-6, the adjoining areas and any other areas that might subsequently be assigned to me, as well as to address other problems affecting our national public life. He kindly agreed and gave me the opportunity, saying, ‘All right, go and identify the area and work there.’”
Ishraque Hossain added that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had included him in his first Cabinet following the election. He said he had been serving as state minister in what he described as one of the country’s most prestigious ministries, responsible for Liberation War Affairs.
Ishraque said he subsequently met the prime minister and briefed him on the severity of the drug problem. During the meeting, he told the prime minister that he wanted to resign, explaining that he did not want his actions to overshadow the prime minister’s work.
“I have come here today to address an important issue that has generated considerable discussion over the past two or three days. Various reports have appeared in domestic and international media. Some have been factual, while others have been exaggerated to varying degrees. I am here today primarily to explain in detail what actually happened that day,” he said.
Ishraque said he had visited Ghuntighar according to a pre-arranged plan and had informed the local police station before going there. He said he routinely carried his licensed firearm at his waist and had taken it in his hand so that he could protect himself if a threatening situation arose.
He added that the viral video had helped establish that the drug users did not have firearms in their possession.
Ishraque said he had visited a Durga Puja mandap after the incident. Later that night, he noticed that a video of the operation had gone viral and that media outlets were publishing reports under various headlines.
He noted that the prime minister had visited 13 locations across the capital that day, describing those visits as commendable. However, he claimed that the way the media had covered his own incident had overshadowed the prime minister’s activities.
Ishraque said he subsequently met the prime minister and briefed him on the severity of the drug problem. During the meeting, he told the prime minister that he wanted to resign, explaining that he did not want his actions to overshadow the prime minister’s work.
He nevertheless announced that his campaign against drugs would continue.
On Sunday, several senior sources close to the government said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had instructed Ishraque Hossain to resign from the Cabinet.
According to the sources, the prime minister summoned Ishraque after a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon and directed him to step down.
On Saturday, Ishraque had taken part in an anti-narcotics operation in Ghuntighar, Gandaria, in the capital, raising a firearm. Others accompanying him were also carrying weapons. After footage of the incident circulated on social media, questions were raised about a state minister participating in an operation while openly displaying a firearm.
The incident caused unease and discontent within both the ruling BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) and the government. Government and party figures considered the episode particularly embarrassing as Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was conducting surprise visits to hospitals, educational institutions and government residential areas across the capital to assess conditions.
Facing criticism, Ishraque issued a statement on his verified Facebook page claiming that he had visited the area to participate in a social resistance initiative against drugs.
He said the programme had been organised through a joint decision involving police, local political leaders and community leaders.
At around 10:00 pm on Sunday, Prothom Alo published a report headlined “Prime Minister orders Ishraque to resign from Cabinet”. Following its publication, Ishraque issued a series of Facebook posts and WhatsApp audio messages describing the report as a rumour. His press officer also issued a rebuttal, calling the report “false and misleading”.
However, shortly after 8.30 am on Monday, Ishraque himself announced his resignation on Facebook. He subsequently made the announcement formally at the National Press Club press conference in the afternoon.