Bangladesh minister raid: Ishraque Hossain carries pistol during Dhaka slum operation

A Bangladeshi junior minister’s raid on a suspected drug den in Dhaka triggered sharp debate online. State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain appeared in a video holding a megaphone and a pistol. The footage showed Ishraque Hossain and plainclothes associates chasing people in a slum area.

Representative image

Police said Ishraque Hossain did not alert them before the raid on Saturday. Officials said six to seven people were detained first by the group. Those detained were later taken to the local police station. At least one associate in the video also appeared to carry a handgun.

Ishraque Hossain raid video and social media reaction

Ishraque Hossain uploaded the clip in the evening with the caption, "Ishraque's Action: Drug dens smashed and dealers handed over to the police.\" The video was later removed after it drew criticism on social media. Many users questioned if a minister should take such steps, especially while holding a firearm.

The pistol in Ishraque Hossain’s hand was blurred through much of the recording. Still, some parts showed the weapon clearly. The footage was recorded in a slum near Gandaria Railway Station. During the chase, Ishraque Hossain was heard saying, \"You are ruining the entire town, destroying the entire area,\" according to the audio.

Ishraque Hossain raid details and detainee claims

Some men held by the associates said they had done nothing wrong. When they protested, Ishraque Hossain replied, \"Let police come, then there will be talks,\" as heard in the clip. Police later took custody of the detainees. Officers said the group handed the men over after detaining them.

Dhaka metropolitan police additional deputy commissioner Masud Rana said police found out only afterwards. Masud Rana told reporters, \"The minister did not inform us about the raid in advance; we learned about it afterwards.\" Police treated the matter as an unannounced operation by the minister and associates.

Gendaria police station’s officer in charge Moniruzzaman Monir described how police received the detainees. Moniruzzaman Monir said: \"They detained six people and claimed they were drug abusers, so we went and brought them in.\" Police said items recovered from the men were being checked.

Moniruzzaman Monir added that a substance was recovered during the handover. Moniruzzaman Monir said, \"Some powder was found in their possession, which will be tested to find out if the substance is a drug.\" Police have not stated the test results. The seized material was still awaiting examination.

Ishraque Hossain political background and anti-drug raids

Ishraque Hossain, 39, is a member of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP. Ishraque Hossain entered Parliament from the area in the February 12 elections. The post with the video also claimed Ishraque Hossain had carried out similar anti-drug raids across the constituency.

The post said Ishraque Hossain planned to continue the anti-drug drive to make the area drug-free. However, the deleted clip kept the focus on how the raid was conducted. Police statements showed the operation happened without coordination. The incident left public attention split between anti-drug aims and ministerial conduct.

With inputs from PTI