According to several senior sources close to the Government, the Prime Minister summoned Ishrak after a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon and directed him to step down. However, no formal statement confirming the reported instruction had been issued by a responsible government official by the time the report was prepared. At 10.34pm, the state broadcaster aired a news ticker stating that the Prime Minister had instructed Ishrak to resign from the Cabinet.

The controversy followed an operation in the Gandaria area of the capital on Saturday, during which Ishrak was seen holding up a firearm. Other people accompanying him were also carrying weapons. Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media, prompting criticism and raising questions within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Government.

Although the stated objective of tackling drug-related crime was not itself the subject of objection, party and government figures questioned why a state minister had personally taken part in an operation with a firearm rather than relying on the law enforcement agencies. The incident reportedly caused considerable unease among senior figures, with concerns that the minister’s conduct could undermine the Government’s public standing.

The controversy was particularly awkward because it occurred on the same day that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conducted surprise inspections at 13 locations across Dhaka. During visits to hospitals, educational institutions and government residential areas, he gave officials instructions on cleanliness, service standards and improvements to facilities, setting deadlines in some cases. Some people within the party and Government reportedly felt that the footage of Ishrak’s armed operation had overshadowed the positive attention generated by the Prime Minister’s inspections.

A member of the BNP’s National Executive Committee, speaking about the incident, said it had become more than a personal matter for Ishrak because it had also embarrassed the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members. The argument within the party was that the Government could face wider criticism for the actions of one of its ministers.

Against this background, the reported resignation instruction has been interpreted as a possible indication that the Prime Minister expects members of his administration to exercise restraint and accept responsibility for their conduct. However, the conflicting accounts of the instruction mean that its status remained uncertain.

What happened during the anti-drug operation?

On Saturday afternoon, Ishrak, the Member of Parliament for Dhaka-6, visited the Dayaganj Guntighar railway crossing near Gandaria railway station as part of an anti-drug operation.

A video published on his Facebook page showed him getting out of a vehicle with a firearm raised and shouting instructions to catch people. A person standing beside him could be heard threatening to shoot. The identity of the individual who made the threat has not been established.

Bodyguards accompanying the minister ran after several people. In one part of the footage, a bodyguard appeared to kick a young man. Some of those present could be heard pleading with the group, saying they had done nothing wrong and describing themselves as poor. Another video showed people who had been detained being handed over to the police.

Two privately appointed bodyguards, Tofazzal Hossain and Lavlu, were present alongside a government-provided bodyguard. The minister’s privately appointed guards also carried firearms. While the weapon in Ishrak’s hand was blurred in parts of the footage, it was clearly visible in other sections.

The incident prompted questions about whether a minister could lawfully display a firearm in this manner during an operation against suspected drug dealers.

Clause 25 of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ 2025 policy on the issuance, renewal and use of firearm licences permits licensed firearms to be carried and used for self-defence. However, it prohibits displaying a weapon in a manner that could cause fear or annoyance to others. Whether Ishrak’s conduct breached this provision is among the issues requiring examination.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is investigating the incident. At a press conference on Sunday, Detective Branch chief Shafiqul Islam said the deputy commissioner of the Wari division had been assigned to investigate whether any law had been violated. He added that action would be taken against those concerned if a breach was established.

Ishrak says he raised his weapon in self-defence

Amid mounting criticism, Ishrak issued a statement on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, presenting his account of the operation. He said he had joined a community-led initiative against drugs that had been agreed jointly by police, local political leaders and social representatives.

According to Ishrak, he had previously discussed complaints about drug dealing in different parts of Gandaria with law enforcement agencies. He said efforts had been made to address shortages of personnel and establish a permanent police outpost near a drug den, but the problem had persisted.

He claimed that, before the operation, he had received information suggesting that drug dealers might fire at the group from rooftops. When the convoy reached the vicinity of a temporary drug den, he said, between 30 and 35 people approached in an aggressive manner, shouting and moving towards the vehicles.

Ishrak said he and government security personnel raised their weapons briefly because they feared a possible attack and wanted to protect themselves and others. According to his account, the weapons were lowered once the situation returned to normal.

He also maintained that the firearm he was carrying was legally licensed and that displaying it had been an act of self-defence. He denied breaking the law.

In his statement, Ishrak claimed that the operation had resulted in the dismantling of four or five temporary drug dens. He said drugs, weapons, cash and stolen mobile phones had been seized, while six people had been detained and handed over to the police.

He accused some media outlets of presenting an incomplete account by focusing on the weapons rather than the wider anti-drug operation. He also said he intended to continue efforts to tackle drug-related crime in his constituency.

His explanation, however, did not resolve questions about the coordination with police before the operation or the manner in which firearms were displayed.

Questions over police coordination

The timing of police involvement has emerged as a separate issue. On Saturday, Masud Rana, additional deputy commissioner of the DMP’s Wari division, said Ishrak had not informed the police in advance and that officers learnt about the operation afterwards.

Ishrak gave a different account to journalists on Saturday, saying he had asked the police to attend approximately 10 minutes after reaching the scene.

The discrepancy has added to the questions facing the authorities. Establishing when the police were contacted, what arrangements had been made beforehand and whether the operation followed applicable procedures will be important to determining whether any rules were breached.

The DMP’s investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the operation, including the display of firearms and the conduct of those who accompanied the minister. No finding of a legal violation had been announced in the information available at the time of reporting.

Ishrak denies receiving an instruction to resign

Later on Sunday night, Ishrak challenged reports that the Prime Minister had instructed him to leave the Cabinet. A post on his verified Facebook page said the claim was incorrect, asserting that no resignation instruction had come from the highest level of the Government and that there was no question of his stepping down.

The post accused an unnamed group of spreading false and imaginary information for political purposes and to confuse the public.

Ishrak also sent an audio message to a WhatsApp group for journalists, asking them to treat the reports as rumours because, he said, there was no confirmation of such a decision. He added that if his party decided to take any action, it would be announced officially at a press conference attended by journalists rather than through unverified reports.

His denial created a clear conflict with the earlier accounts from sources close to the Government and the state broadcaster’s news ticker. In the absence of an explicit official statement confirming the instruction, the precise status of the reported resignation order remained unresolved.

Earlier resignation of BNP lawmaker Ferdousi Ahmed Misty

The controversy surrounding Ishrak follows another episode in which a BNP lawmaker resigned after an incident involving people reportedly close to her.

On 25 September, Rad-da health centre in Mirpur, Dhaka, was attacked and looted, and its building was demolished. Several local BNP and Jubo Dal figures described as close to reserved-seat MP Ferdousi Ahmed Misty were named in connection with the incident. The episode caused concern within the party and Government and raised questions about her political responsibility, although Misty denied involvement in the attack and destruction.

Following instructions from BNP chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Misty submitted her resignation to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on 1 October. The Parliament Secretariat subsequently declared her seat vacant.

The latest controversy emerged around two and a half weeks after Misty’s resignation. In both cases, the Government faced political discomfort following incidents involving members of the ruling party or people associated with them.

Whether Ishrak will ultimately leave the Cabinet remains uncertain, given his denial of the reported instruction and the absence of formal government confirmation. The episode has nevertheless raised broader questions about ministerial conduct, the use of licensed firearms in public operations and the standards of accountability expected of members of the Government.