Calling resignation news a ‘rumor’, what messages did Ishraque send through the night
Ishraque Hossain has said that he will announce his resignation as State Minister for Liberation War Affairs on Monday (19 October) afternoon. He made the announcement on his verified Facebook page shortly after 8:30 am today, Monday.
However, on Sunday night, after Prothom Alo reported that he had been directed to resign, Ishraque Hossain repeatedly described the report as a ‘rumour’ in Facebook posts and WhatsApp audio messages. His press officer also issued a rebuttal, calling the report false and misleading.
In a voice message sent to a WhatsApp media group at 9:08 am today, Ishraque said, "At 2:00 pm at the Press Club, through a press conference, I will announce the final decision conveyed by the Honorable Prime Minister."
Earlier on Saturday (17 October), Ishraque joined an anti-drug drive in Dhaka's Gendaria. He was seen with a firearm. People accompanying him were also seen carrying weapons.
Once the video footage of the incident went viral on social media, it sparked widespread controversy and discussion. The incident also caused unease and discontent within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the government.
Following the fallout, the Prime Minister called Ishraque to the Secretariat after a cabinet meeting on Sunday afternoon and instructed him to resign.
Around 10:00 pm on Sunday, Prothom Alo published an online report titled "Prime Minister orders Ishraque to resign from Cabinet." A few moments later, at 10:22 pm, Ishraque posted in his WhatsApp media group: "I request everyone not to pay heed to resignation rumors."
Four minutes later, at 10:26 pm, he sent a voice note to the same group. Calling the Prothom Alo report a "rumor" and "unverified gossip," Ishraque said, "I kindly request everyone to treat this entire matter as a rumor. There is no truth to it yet. If we take any such decision as a party, it certainly will not come through unsubstantiated reports."
Two minutes later, at 10:28 pm, Ishraque's press officer issued a statement in the WhatsApp group protesting the report. Denouncing Prothom Alo's report as untrue and misleading, the statement threatened legal action if it was not retracted immediately. The notice was later shared on Ishraque's verified Facebook page.
Around 10:30 pm, another message was posted on the Facebook page asserting that the report about Ishraque being asked to resign was incorrect. It claimed that no instructions to resign had been issued by high government levels and that the question of his resignation did not arise. The message also alleged that a group was spreading fabricated and false information to serve political interests and mislead the public.
At 10:40 pm, Ishraque sent yet another voice message to journalists in the WhatsApp group, maintaining that he was continuing to carry out his ministerial duties.
At that point, several reporters in the group requested a video statement from him. In response, at 10:51 pm, his press officer wrote that the state minister did not deem it necessary to issue a video message over "yellow journalism by a couple of media outlets," adding that Ishraque would speak openly in person if needed.
Following Prothom Alo's report, state broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV) also ran the news of Ishraque being instructed to resign as a breaking news ticker. Criticising BTV, Ishraque's press officer issued another statement in the WhatsApp group.
The message stated that BTV had shown severe irresponsibility by broadcasting sensitive news regarding a state minister's resignation without a formal government gazette or official announcement, violating basic journalistic ethics. It added that remaining silent and failing to offer an official apology after broadcasting such erroneous information further called the state broadcaster's professionalism into question.
Shortly afterwards, BTV dropped the original ticker and began running a new one stating that Ishraque Hossain had denied the resignation reports.