State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain is set to formally announce his resignation at 2:00 pm today at the Jatiya Press Club, following widespread criticism over an armed anti-drug raid in the capital's Gandaria area.
The controversy erupted on October 17 when the Dhaka-6 MP uploaded a video showing him carrying a pistol while leading an operation near the Gandaria railway line. In the footage, the minister and his bodyguards were seen chasing suspects and detaining six individuals.
Ishraque defended his actions, stating his firearm was licensed and drawn in "self-defence" after facing a threatening crowd. He claimed the raid dismantled several makeshift drug dens and resulted in arrests, blaming media outlets for distorting the operation's success. However, the incident drew sharp backlash from rights groups and political parties, raising serious questions about the rule of law and a minister's role in law enforcement.
In a Facebook post this morning, the minister announced his decision to step down, stating he would continue his anti-drug campaign as a BNP activist rather than as a state minister. The government has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
The incident underscores the broader challenges in Bangladesh's drug crackdown. Official data shows that since May, police have arrested over 20,000 people in connection with narcotics offences, recovering millions of yaba tablets and thousands of packets of heroin. With 1,600 identified drug kingpins still active across 162 entry points, the effectiveness of traditional enforcement methods remains under scrutiny.
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