Ishrak Speaks Out Himself amid Resignation Rumours: Will Announce at a Press Conference as Soon as a Directive Takes Effect
State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishrak Hossain has now spoken out himself after rumours spread that he had received a directive to resign from the cabinet. In a verified Facebook post, he said that as soon as any such decision from the prime minister takes effect, he will inform the people of the country in detail at a press conference at the earliest.
On Sunday, news spread in the media citing multiple sources that at a meeting called by the prime minister, Ishrak Hossain had been directed to resign from the cabinet. Another account said that on Sunday afternoon, after the cabinet meeting at the Secretariat ended, the prime minister summoned Ishrak, and it was there that he was supposedly directed to resign; it was also claimed that multiple sources at a high level close to the government had confirmed the matter. However, no statement has been received so far from anyone responsible in the government.
Immediately afterwards, a protest was sent to the media from the state minister’s side, and his press officer claimed the matter of the resignation was baseless. The protest said the news being circulated about Ishrak Hossain’s ‘resignation’ or ‘his being directed to resign’ is completely false, baseless, fabricated and motivated.
The protest letter further said the real truth is — the state minister has been carrying out his governmental and political duties with the utmost devotion and reputation; no directive to resign has been given to him from the high level of the government, and no question of his resignation arises. It also alleged that a quarter is spreading such imaginary and false information with the aim of achieving political objectives and creating confusion among the public.
Afterwards, Ishrak Hossain, MP for Dhaka-6 constituency, himself posted on Facebook. In that verified post he wrote, ‘As soon as a directive of resignation or any other directive comes from the honourable prime minister towards any member of the cabinet, it is traditionally obligatory to carry it out, or it automatically takes effect.’
The post also said, ‘Therefore, there is no need to verify any information in this regard through a third, fourth or any more distant person. As soon as any such decision takes effect in the case of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs or mine, the people of the country will be informed in detail through a press conference at the earliest, Inshallah.’ That is, if a decision truly takes effect, he himself will formally announce it — the state minister asked that source-based news be viewed in that light.
In the protest letter, all the media concerned and the people of the country were requested not to be misled by such propaganda. At the same time, the outlets that published misleading news were called upon to withdraw it immediately and present correct information; otherwise, it was also warned, legal measures would be taken against the propagandists.
The origin of this rumour was an incident on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, Ishrak Hossain went on an anti-drug drive in the Dayaganj Ghuntighar railgate area of Gendaria in the capital. At that time he was seen publicly brandishing a firearm, and weapons were also seen in the hands of the security guards with him. According to the account, he was also seen in the video raising a pistol and shouting, and beating one of the persons with him.
Ever since the video of the incident spread on social media, discussion and criticism have been at a peak. The opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami has condemned the incident of the State Minister for Liberation War Affairs displaying firearms on an ‘anti-drug drive’, describing it as ‘a sign of a reign of terror’.
In the protest letter, however, the position on that incident was also clarified. It said that regarding the incident of lawfully displaying a weapon only in self-defence in a situation arising at an anti-drug social resistance programme in his own constituency, the state minister had already clarified his position beforehand. The protest also claimed that spreading any resignation-related news centred on this incident is completely unlawful and contrary to the principles of journalism.
All in all, the situation is now stuck between the two accounts of the two sides — on one side the news of the resignation directive citing multiple sources, on the other the state minister’s protest and his own Facebook message. Until an official statement comes from anyone responsible in the government, nothing final can be said about the truth of the rumour.
According to Ishrak Hossain’s own announcement, if any decision takes effect, the first official word of it will come from his press conference. So now all eyes are on that — whether a press conference is called, and whether any official statement comes from the government — on these depends the end of this speculation.
