State Minister Ishraque joins anti-drug drive with firearm, faces questions over its use

As soon as he got out of the vehicle, Liberation War Affairs State Minister Ishraque Hossain raised a firearm and shouted, “Catch them!” Someone standing beside him was heard saying, “I’ll shoot you dead.”

The state minister’s bodyguards then ran towards several people to catch them. One of the bodyguards also kicked a man.

The incident took place on Saturday afternoon in the Dayaganj Ghuntighar rail-gate area, near Gendaria Railway Station in the capital.

A video of the incident was posted on Ishraque Hossain’s Facebook page. It quickly went viral, sparking discussion. Another video showed the detained individuals being handed over to the police.

The pistol in the state minister’s hand was blurred in the video. However, it was left unobscured in some parts, where it can clearly be seen. The video also shows two other people accompanying the state minister carrying firearms.

Pavel Sikder, former convener of the Dhaka City South unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, was present at the scene with Ishraque Hossain.

He told Prothom Alo that they arrived there between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm. The state minister had gone there following repeated complaints from local residents. The police had also been informed, but they took time to arrive.

The video posted on Ishraque Hossain’s Facebook page was titled, “Ishraque in action: Drug den demolished, dealers handed over to police”. It mentioned the date of the incident as Saturday, 17 October 2026, and the location as an area beside the railway tracks in Gendaria.

The video shows the state minister getting out of the vehicle with a firearm in his hand, after which the people accompanying him move towards several individuals standing beside the railway tracks to apprehend them. At that point, several young men are heard saying, “Sir, I haven’t done anything. I’m a poor man, sir.”

State Minister Ishraque then replied, “The police will come, then we’ll talk.”

Ishraque was accompanied by his two personal bodyguards, Tofazzal Hossain and Lavlu, as well as a government bodyguard. The personal bodyguards were also armed, and the government bodyguard can be seen pointing a firearm.

At one point, a bodyguard kicks a young man. When asked who had kicked him, Chhatra Dal leader Pavel Sikder said it was the state minister’s government bodyguard. However, Pavel could not provide the bodyguard’s name. He said government bodyguards take turns performing their duties.

The identity of the person who threatened to shoot in the video could not be confirmed. Pavel Sikder, however, claimed that no shots were fired at the scene.

The incident involving State Minister Ishraque has raised several questions, including:

First, was the firearm carried by the state minister legally owned?

Second, even if it was legally owned, can a minister conduct an anti-drug operation while displaying a firearm in this manner?

Third, if ministers and state ministers have to conduct operations like this, what is the role of the police?

Fourth, is it acceptable for a state minister to conduct such an operation without addressing the underlying problems in the system?

State Minister Ishraque told Prothom Alo that the firearm he was carrying was legal.

Ishraque was elected as a member of parliament from Dhaka-6. His affidavit submitted to the returning officer during the election did not mention that he owned a firearm.

The state minister said he had acquired the weapon on 11 December 2025, after Sharif Osman Hadi was shot. He said there had been no opportunity to declare it in his nomination papers when he obtained it.

The deadline for submitting nomination papers was 29 December. Ishraque submitted his papers on 28 December 2025.

Article 25 of the Home Ministry’s 2025 policy sets out the conditions for carrying and using legally owned firearms.

Subsection (a) of the article states: “A person may carry or use a firearm registered under their own licence for self-defence. However, a firearm must not be displayed in a manner that may cause fear or annoyance to others.”

Asked about the matter, the state minister said he was an elected representative and that the Dayaganj Ghuntighar area near Gendaria Railway Station fell within his constituency. Drug dealings take place there, and local residents had repeatedly complained to him.

Ishraque said he had informed the police, but no action had been taken. He had therefore been compelled to go there himself.

The state minister said the police had failed to play any effective role. “I have held meetings with the police at least 30 to 40 times. They give different explanations each time. They say they lack manpower and vehicles, among other things. Previously, several police officers were shot and injured while conducting an operation there,” he said.

Ishraque added that the police had yet to recover fully following the July mass uprising. Drug dealers fired at people from a distance, he said, which was why he had a firearm with him.

“I did not fire any shots, nor did I use it to intimidate anyone. Yes, we conducted the operation, and we are building social resistance,” he said.

However, the video clearly shows the state minister pointing his firearm. Children were also present at the scene.

Asked why the police had not taken action despite the state minister’s instructions, Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gendaria police station, said they had conducted an operation on 11 October involving 300 police personnel. Members of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) and the Special Response Battalion (SRB) also took part.

Responding to the state minister’s allegations, he said they remained in regular contact with the state minister and kept him informed about their operations and the results.

Ishraque has been seen posting videos on Facebook of himself taking part in various operations, including drives related to cleanliness and efforts to curb rising commodity prices. His Facebook page has four million followers. However, the video of Saturday’s anti-drug operation has since been removed from his page.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Sharif Bhuiyan told Prothom Alo that the government and ministers were responsible for giving instructions, while the police should take action.

“If a minister has to take to the field with a firearm to conduct an operation, what is the role of the police then?” he asked. The lawyer said the state minister’s display of a firearm in this manner was illegal.