United News of Bangladesh

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, who was hospitalised on Wednesday night with breathing and heart-related problems, is now in stable condition, said BNP Standing Committee Member Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain on Thursday. He shared the information after visiting Moyeen Khan, also a BNP Standing Committee member, at Evercare Hospital Dhaka in the afternoon. “He was admitted to the hospital yesterday [Wednesday] after falling ill with breathing and heart-related problems. He is receiving treatment under close observation by the doctors,” Zahid said, adding that his condition is now more stable than it was on Wednesday. Zahid, also the social welfare, and women and children affairs minister, said Moyeen Khan is undergoing treatment under the supervision of Evercare Hospital physicians Dr Kazi Atiqur Rahman, Dr Ziaul Huq and Dr Zafor Iqbal. In the evening, BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also visited Moyeen Khan at the hospital. During the visit, the doctors briefed him on his latest condition. Earlier, Moyeen Khan was taken to Evercare Hospital on Wednesday night after he fell ill. The family has urged the country’s people to pray for his speedy recovery.

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister and BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan has been hospitalised after complaining of severe chest pain. He was taken to Evercare Hospital Dhaka on Wednesday night and subsequently moved to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU), according to the BNP Media Cell. On Thursday, BNP Standing Committee Member and Social Welfare Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain visited Moyeen Khan at the hospital. During the visit, Zahid enquired after his overall condition from the doctors responsible for his treatment. He also prayed for his speedy recovery and good health.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has accepted the resignation of State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain. The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification to this end on Tuesday. The resignation takes effect immediately, according to the notification. Ishraque formally announced his resignation at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Monday afternoon. The Dhaka-6 MP came under criticism on Saturday after brandishing a firearm during an anti-drug drive in Dhaka's Gandaria. A video of the incident went viral on social media, triggering widespread reactions, including in political circles. The video showed Ishraque and his bodyguards brandishing firearms and using force against members of the public. At the press conference, Ishraque said he had voluntarily decided to step down as state minister for Liberation War Affairs. He claimed that he had taken up arms temporarily in self-defence and had not violated any law. However, he said he had decided to resign to protect his party’s image and uphold its honour. He also said he would continue his anti-drug activities as an ordinary party activist, even without holding public office. It is widely believed however that he was asked to resign by the prime minister in the aftermath of the viral incident last Saturday.  

Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday alleged that the government is bus with “character assassination” of the opposition instead of easing public suffering and curbing crime. In a post on his verified Facebook page, he said people are struggling with soaring prices of essential commodities, while gas and electricity supply problems persist. Shafiqur also referred to the arrest of 84 people by the Detective Branch (DB) of police over alleged illicit activities at a house owned by an additional deputy inspector general (DIG) of police. A large quantity of suspected narcotics was also recovered from the house, he said. The opposition leader said the incident reflected the “deteriorating” law-and-order situation in the country. He alleged that extortion, mugging, looting and armed robbery have seen a rise across the country. The fact that the alleged activities took place at a property owned by a senior police official raised serious concerns among the public, Shafiqur said. Calling for a renewed role for young people, he ended his post by saying the youth must rise once again.    

Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday said people did not shed blood during the July Uprising for the benefit of looters and extortionists, warning that the public would not tolerate looting, extortion, injustice and oppression. “The students and the people did not shed their blood in the July Uprising for the looters and extortionists. The people will in no way tolerate looting, extortion, injustice and oppression. In the future, every single crime will have to be accounted for,” he said. Shafiqur was addressing a conference of former Sathi (associate) and Sodosya (members) of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, organised by Chattogram city Jamaat at the GEC Convention Centre in the port city, according to a press release. He said those who oppressed people, deprived them of their rights or usurped what rightfully belong to others will have to answer for their actions. The opposition leader said the responsibility of the Islamic movement must be carried out throughout one's life, recalling what he described as various forms of oppression and persecution faced by Jamaat over the past 17 years. He alleged that 12 top leaders of the party were “killed” after being subjected to what he called some of the worst accusations of the century. “No one will escape accountability for wrongdoing. Everyone will have to answer for their own actions,” Shafiqur said.  

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Tuesday accused the BNP government of creating conditions for the Awami League’s return to politics by ignoring opposition demands and pursuing what he described as partisan politics and authoritarian practices. “The government is deliberately creating a path for the Awami League to return by ignoring all movements of the opposition and creating anarchy and instability,” he said at an emergency press conference at the party’s central office in the capital. He alleged that the government was trying to establish one-party authority by portraying opposition criticism of corruption and politicisation as opposition to the state. He said the opposition is being labelled anti-July whenever it spoke out against alleged wrongdoing, accusing the government of shifting responsibility for its failures and partisan appointments onto opposition parties. The Jamaat leader also accused the government of failing to implement the July Charter and the referendum verdict, saying it was placing ruling party loyalists in constitutional, government, semi-government and autonomous institutions instead. He warned that ignoring the people’s verdict and using a parliamentary majority to sideline public demands could lead the country towards fascism. Porwar further alleged that the government was obstructing opposition activities, including religious gatherings, and urged the BNP to learn from the Awami League’s past mistakes. Referring to the cancellation of permission for a religious gathering involving an elected lawmaker, he said the government was repeating practices associated with the ousted previous administration. He also criticised the government’s handling of constitutional reform, alleging that it wanted to amend the Constitution without implementing the reforms endorsed through the referendum. Porwar said Jamaat and its allies were continuing their movement to press for implementation of the referendum verdict and the July Charter. He called on the government to abandon what he described as a fascist course and respect democratic demands.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam on Monday said the people are waiting to see the home minister’s resignation, accusing him of failing to perform his duties. He made the remarks while briefing the media after visiting the East Badda Nimtala Kali Temple on the occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community. “Today, the state minister for liberation war affairs was made to resign. But the home minister, who is primarily responsible for maintaining law and order, is not being held accountable in any way,” Nahid said. “The home minister is not doing what he is supposed to do. Instead, he is busy with the Constitution,” he added. Referring to Ishraque Hossain, who announced earlier in the day that he would resign from the cabinet, the NCP leader said he committed a criminal offence, and the law enforcement agencies should take appropriate action against him. “Earlier, another MP, Mishti [Ferdousy Ahmed Mishti], resigned, but she has not yet been arrested. The country is being run according to the wishes, preferences, requests or directives of one individual. This is neither an example of democracy nor of the rule of law,” he said. On the Constitution Amendment Committee, Nahid accused the government of staging a farce in the name of constitutional reform. “The people of this country have rejected this committee. It is holding meetings with partisan civil society members and intellectuals, who are being used by the BNP to speak against the reforms it has accepted. This is a mockery of the people,” he said. NCP spokesperson and mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, along with other leaders of the party, was present during the visit.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary on Monday said State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain has become a victim of the home minister's failure, referring to his resignation from the cabinet. "The problem lies with the home minister. Ishraque has been caught up in this. The home minister commits the fault, but someone else has to pay for it," Nasiruddin said while talking to reporters after exchanging Durga Puja greetings at the Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital. He said Ishraque had entered politics with the intention of curbing drug-related activities, but got trapped due to the home minister's failures. “Ishraque's intentions were good, but he lost his ministerial post after falling into the trap.” The NCP leader also raised concerns about the safety of the country’s Hindu community, saying despite the BNP government’s reported pledge to ensure security for all, members of the community are “not feeling well”. "The BNP government has failed to provide them with proper security," he said, alleging that incidents of vandalism were reported in various places over the past three to four months. Referring to the cow-slaughter incident at Jagannath University, Nasiruddin urged the Muslim community not to do anything that could anger, sadden or hurt Hindus. He said no act should be committed that could hurt members of the Hindu community, suggesting sitting with them for discussions, if necessary.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain on Monday announced his resignation, saying he wants to prevent the controversy over an anti-drug drive from overshadowing the government’s activities or embarrassing his party, the BNP. “I have voluntarily sought release from my responsibilities as State Minister for Liberation War Affairs from the honourable Prime Minister from today,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has agreed to his decision. He made the announcement at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club this afternoon. Ishraque, the BNP MP of Dhaka-6 constituency, said he wanted to devote his time to making his constituency drug-free and addressing other problems faced by its residents. The controversy erupted after a video circulated on social media showing him carrying a firearm during an anti-drug drive in Ghuntighar area alongside the railway line in Gandaria on Saturday. Explaining his participation in the anti-drug drive, Ishraque said residents had repeatedly complained about drug trafficking in the area which he described as a major drug distribution hub. He said several meetings with police and local leaders had failed to resolve the problem, prompting a decision to launch a coordinated campaign involving residents and law enforcers. He claimed that around 25 to 30 people came out of the area and moved towards their vehicles when the team entered the spot. “I held my legally licensed firearm for a short time for my personal safety, so that I could protect myself if any situation arose,” he said, adding that he put the weapon away after the situation was brought under control. Ishraque said police were informed about the operation and later joined the drive. He claimed that the team recovered schoolbags containing mobile phones believed to have been snatched, around 300 grams of heroin, several bottles of alcohol and locally made weapons from several buildings. He also said police arrested six people and took them into custody along with the recovered items for legal proceedings. Defending his actions, Ishraque said the operation was conducted in coordination with police and in line with decisions of the Dhaka-6 law and order committee. “I firmly believe that I did nothing wrong that day. I held the firearm only for self-defence,” he said, expressing regret if his conduct or the operation had hurt anyone. He said the campaign against drugs would continue with greater enthusiasm as a BNP activist rather than as a minister, urging people to provide information about drug hotspots. “I have started this fight against drugs, and it will continue,” he said. Ishraque won the 2026 general election as the candidate for Dhaka-6, bagging78,850 votes. On  February, 17, 2026, he took charge as State Minister for Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.  

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday warned that attempts to undermine Bangladesh’s tradition of communal harmony would be resisted, saying the country’s secular-minded and religious people would not allow such conspiracies to succeed. “Some may conspire against this great tradition of Bengal, and some may plot against it. But the secular-minded and religious people of this country will never allow such attempts to grow or succeed. They will resist them, as they have done repeatedly in the past,” he said. He made these remarks during a visit at the Durga Puja mandap at Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University. He said people of different religious communities had lived together in Bangladesh for thousands of years, sharing one another’s festivals and cultural traditions. “We have taken part in one another’s celebrations and considered each other’s joy as our own,” he said, stressing the importance of preserving this tradition. The BNP leader said people of different faiths shared a common national identity, language, food habits, clothing and folk culture, despite their differences in religious beliefs. Referring to the concept of Bangladeshi nationalism introduced by late President Ziaur Rahman, he said it provided space for people of all religious communities. Rizvi also stressed that ensuring the religious rights and security of every citizen was the responsibility of the state. “Everyone may have their own religion and beliefs, but everyone has rights before the state,” he said. He said the government had taken several steps to help Hindu devotees celebrate Durga Puja peacefully and securely. He said the government had extended the holiday period for the festival and increased the rice allocation for puja mandaps and temples. He also said a government initiative to provide monthly honorariums to temple priests and attendants is being implemented. Rizvi expressed hope that communal harmony would be further strengthened through greater practice of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. He wished members of the Hindu community a joyful Durga Puja, expressing hope that the festival would strengthen bonds of brotherhood among people.