Ishraque vows to demolish drug dens with bamboo sticks

Liberation War Affairs State Minister Ishraque Hossain has said he will use bamboo sticks instead of firearms to demolish drug dens, following controversy over a video showing him carrying a pistol during an anti-drug operation in Dhaka.

In a post on his verified Facebook account on Sunday night, October 18, he also criticised several media outlets for their coverage of the operation and vowed to demolish drug dens.

Referring to his personal security, Ishraque said he had a legally licensed firearm but would use bamboo sticks to destroy the alleged drug dens from now on. He added that police would observe the action and magistrates would oversee arrests.

On Saturday, October 17, the Dhaka-6 lawmaker took part in an anti-drug operation near the railway tracks in Gandaria, the capital.

A vudeo shared on Facebook showed him holding a hand microphone and a pistol during the operation. At one point, he was seen handling the firearm and gesturing to several people to stop. Other members were also seen carrying firearms.

The video prompted questions about whether a licence to carry a personal firearm permits its public display in such circumstances and whether an elected representative can personally lead an armed anti-drug operation.

On Sunday, Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam, chief of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB), told journalists that the relevant deputy commissioner had been asked to review the incident locally and submit a report. He said police would take action in accordance with the law if any violation was found.

In his statement, Ishraque claimed that 30 to 35 people had approached his convoy in an aggressive manner while he was participating in a social anti-drug campaign. He said he and his security personnel briefly raised their firearms to prevent a possible attack.

He also claimed that, with assistance from the local police station, four or five alleged drug dens had been cleared, drugs and weapons recovered, and six people detained and handed over to police.