President has accepted the resignation of State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain.

A gazette notification issued on Monday (October 19) was published in the official gazette on Tuesday (October 20).

The notification stated that the president had accepted Ishraque Hossain’s resignation as state minister for liberation war affairs and that his resignation would take effect immediately.

Earlier on Monday, Ishraque Hossain announced his resignation as state minister at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club at 2:00pm, following controversy sparked by his participation in an anti-narcotics operation while carrying a firearm.

Ishraque Hossain, also a member of parliament for Dhaka-6, took part in an anti-narcotics operation in the capital’s Gandaria area on Saturday, holding a firearm aloft. Those accompanying him were also carrying weapons. The incident sparked widespread discussion and criticism after a video of it went viral on social media.

The following afternoon, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman summoned Ishraque after a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat and instructed him to resign, according to multiple high-level government sources.

On Sunday (October 18), Ishraque Hossain said he had briefly raised his licensed firearm in “self-defence” during an anti-drug drive in the capital’s Gandaria area on Saturday after receiving warnings of possible “security threats”.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Ishraque said he and his security personnel had got out of their vehicles and briefly raised their weapons when a group of 30 to 35 people allegedly approached their convoy aggressively near a suspected drug den.

Sun News/ rabbi