Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain to resign from the cabinet after he sparked intense controversy by leading an anti-drug drive armed with a firearm.

Multiple high-level government sources confirmed that the Prime Minister summoned Ishraque following a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon (October 18) and instructed him to step down.

However, no official statement from responsible government officials was available until the filing of this report late at night.

On Saturday (October 17), Ishraque Hossain launched an anti-drug operation in the capital's Gendaria area brandishing a firearm.

Individuals accompanying him were also seen holding weapons.

After video footage of the incident went viral on social media, it triggered widespread criticism and debate, causing discomfort and dissatisfaction within both the ruling party and the government.

Under these circumstances, the Prime Minister ordered Ishraque to leave the cabinet within a day of the incident.

On Saturday afternoon, Ishraque Hossain, Member of Parliament for the Dhaka-6 constituency, went to conduct the anti-drug drive in the Dayaganj Guntighar Railgate area adjacent to the Gendaria Railway Station.

In a video published on his personal Facebook page, he was seen stepping out of his vehicle, raising a firearm, and shouting, "Catch them, catch them..." Someone beside him was heard saying, "I will shoot straight."

During the incident, bodyguards accompanying the state minister ran to apprehend several individuals.

Present at the scene alongside a government bodyguard were two of his personal bodyguards, Tofazzal Hossain and Lavlur, who were also carrying weapons.

While the pistol in Ishraque's hand was blurred in parts of the video, the weapon was clearly visible in other frames.

The identity of the person who issued the shooting threat could not be verified.

Following the incident, questions arose as to whether a state minister can conduct an anti-drug drive while publicly displaying a firearm.

According to Section 25 of the Ministry of Home Affairs' 2025 Guidelines on Firearms Licensing, Renewal, and Use, although licensed weapons may be carried and used for self-defense, displaying firearms in a manner that causes fear or annoyance to others is strictly prohibited.