Dhaka, Oct 18 (V7N)- Bangladesh State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraq Hossain has faced criticism and legal questions after a video posted on his verified Facebook page appeared to show him carrying a firearm and threatening suspected drug offenders during an anti-drug operation in the Dayaganj Ghuntighar area near Gendaria Railway Station in the capital.
The incident took place on Saturday afternoon. The video, titled “Ishraq’s Action: Drug Dens Demolished, Dealers Handed Over to Police,” shows the state minister stepping out of a black car holding a device near his mouth in his right hand and a pistol in his left. He is heard shouting instructions as people accompanying him move to detain several individuals beside the railway line. One person accompanying the group is also seen kicking a man.
Some of the individuals being detained can be heard pleading that they had done nothing wrong. Ishraq responds that they would speak once the police arrived.
According to local residents, the state minister conducted a surprise raid on a suspected drug den in a slum beside the railway line. Six people suspected of involvement in drug trading were detained and subsequently handed over to police.
Gendaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman Monir told the media that Ishraq had detained six people and contacted the police station. Officers were then sent to collect them. The OC said a white powder-like substance was reportedly recovered from the detainees, adding that laboratory testing would be needed to determine whether it was heroin.
The video has sparked debate over whether the state minister was legally entitled to carry the firearm and whether displaying it during an operation was lawful. Legal experts have questioned the involvement of a government official in directly conducting a field-level enforcement operation while visibly carrying a weapon.
High Court lawyer Towhidul Islam told Samakal that firearms held under licence may be carried and used for self-defence, but must not be displayed in circumstances that cause fear or annoyance to others. He also referred to provisions of the Arms Act of 1878 concerning violations of firearm licence conditions.
Former Inspector General of Police Muhammad Nurul Huda told Samakal that licensed weapons are primarily intended for self-defence and said it would be preferable for a state minister not to display a firearm during an operation, as police are responsible for providing security.
The report also raises questions about the applicable firearm licensing rules. It refers to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Firearm Licence Issuance, Renewal and Use Policy, 2016, as well as a provision identified as Section 25(a) of a 2025 policy. The precise legal provisions and their applicability would need to be verified independently.
Following the operation, Ishraq said the campaign would continue until Dhaka-6 constituency became free of drugs. He vowed that suspected drug dealers would not be spared regardless of political affiliation, adding that punishment would be stricter if members of the BNP were found involved in the trade.
Attempts to contact the state minister by phone and WhatsApp for comment on the firearm display reportedly went unanswered. However, he told other media outlets that the weapon was legally licensed and that he had obtained the licence following the December 2025 killing of Sharif Osman Hadi.
The report further noted that Ishraq had not mentioned a firearm in the affidavit submitted to the returning officer ahead of the parliamentary election held in February.
Explaining the raid, the state minister said residents had repeatedly complained about drug trading in the Dayaganj Ghuntighar area. He claimed to have informed police but said no effective action had followed, prompting him to visit the area himself.
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