Murad Hassan yet to resign, hasn't come to office
State minister for information Murad Hassan has not resigned from the cabinet as of 11:00 in the morning on Tuesday. He has not also come to the office today.
A ministry official confirmed these to Prothom Alo.
The official further said Murad Hassan went to Chattogram on Monday. Since then he did not have any contact with the state minister for information.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the state minister to resign from the cabinet by today (Tuesday) for making derogatory and indecent comments, said ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday in a press briefing.
A video of state minister Murad Hassan went viral on social media, where he has blatantly made indecent remarks about Zaima Rahman, granddaughter of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia.
While comments about Zaima were heavily criticised, another leaked audio of Murad threatening and using abusive language to an actress over the phone also went viral in social media.
Apart from this, Murad also made offensive remarks about women leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League's Dhaka University unit in another video live-streamed on Facebook.
People from all walks of life including women rights activists have raised their voices against his derogatory remarks about women.
Sources from the AL said prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked authorities concerned to investigate whether Murad himself made the remarks. Once confirmed, the PM called road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader Monday afternoon and asked him to convey the message to Murad to step down within 24 hours.
The PM also said if he do not resign he would be suspended from the cabinet, sources added.
Obaidul Quader conveyed the message to Murad around 8:00pm, the ruling party's general secretary told media.
As per article 58 of the constitution "the prime minister may at any time request a minister to resign, and if such minister fails to comply with the request, may advise the president to terminate the appointment of such minister."
The government and the ruling party sources said, apart from losing portfolio, Murad might also lose his membership from the party.
Murad was shifted from state minister of the health ministry to information ministry in 2019. He is a member of parliament from the Jamalpur-4 constituency.
Murad’s father Matiur Rahman Talukder was the president of Jamalpur district unit Awami League.