Ishraque Hossain says he met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and sought voluntary release from his state ministerial responsibilities.
Photo: TBS
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Photo: TBS
Ishraque Hossain announced his resignation as state minister for liberation war affairs this afternoon (19 October) amid controversy over his gun-wielding anti-drug raid.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, Ishraque said he had met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and sought voluntary release from his state ministerial responsibilities.
“I met the prime minister and told him that, effective today, I have voluntarily sought release from my responsibilities as state minister for the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs,” he added.
He said he had told the prime minister that he wanted to focus full-time on eliminating drugs in Dhaka-6 and neighbouring areas, as well as any other areas he might take on in the future, and addressing other problems affecting people’s lives across the country.
The prime minister had kindly agreed to his request, he added.
Dhaka-6 MP Ishraque Hossain speaks to the media at the National Press Club on 19 October 2026. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS
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Dhaka-6 MP Ishraque Hossain speaks to the media at the National Press Club on 19 October 2026. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS
Ishraque slammed media “narratives” about the raid, saying they had embarrassed his party, the ruling BNP.
He defended his actions, saying he had a licence for his gun and had wielded it for protection.
This follows a night of confusion after a media report last night claimed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had directed him to resign. Ishraque later disputed the report, saying it was untrue.
In a Facebook post earlier today, Ishraque, son of the late BNP leader and Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, said he intended to resign.
In the post, the Dhaka-6 MP said, “I will formally announce my resignation as state minister for liberation war affairs at a press conference at the National Press Club at 2pm today.”
A Prothom Alo report said last night that Tarique summoned Ishraque after a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat yesterday afternoon and instructed him to step down.
But in a statement, Ishraque urged everyone to treat the report as unverified, false and a rumour, saying no decision had been made at that time.
This morning, however, Ishraque confirmed through his Facebook post that he would step down.
He also pledged to intensify his anti-drug campaign as a BNP activist in his post. “Instead of working as a member of parliament or a state minister, I will work against drugs with a hundred times more enthusiasm as a BNP activist, InshaAllah.”
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