Failure of Home Ministry Blamed on Ishrak, Says Hasnat Abdullah

PNN News Desk | Cumilla

Hasnat Abdullah, a member of parliament for the Cumilla-4 constituency and the National Citizen Party's (NCP) chief organizer for the southern region, has alleged that the Home Ministry and the Department of Narcotics Control have fallen short of their responsibilities in controlling drugs in the country.

He claimed that the failures of the relevant authorities had been shifted onto Ishrak Hossain, who resigned as state minister for liberation war affairs. Hasnat also demanded accountability from the home minister and called for his resignation over the situation.

Hasnat Abdullah made these remarks while speaking to journalists after visiting a Durga Puja pavilion in Elahabad Union of Debidwar Upazila in Cumilla at around 10:00 pm on Monday (October 19).

Expressing concern over the country's overall security situation, he questioned how far the situation had deteriorated for a state minister to feel compelled to go into the field carrying a firearm.

Hasnat said responsibility for controlling drugs rests with law enforcement agencies and the Department of Narcotics Control. However, he pointed out that the state minister for liberation war affairs had ended up taking to the streets while armed to address the drug problem.

In his view, the incident had exposed shortcomings in the operations of the relevant agencies. He argued that Ishrak Hossain would not have needed to take such action if the police and the Department of Narcotics Control had properly fulfilled their responsibilities.

Criticizing the home minister, Hasnat Abdullah alleged that the incumbent minister had failed to perform his duties. He referred to alleged convictions involving corruption, bribery and land grabbing in connection with the minister. Hasnat claimed that failures in the Home Ministry's operations had led to a situation in which a state minister felt compelled to take up a firearm and intervene in efforts to control drugs.

Hasnat said the home minister must be held accountable and explain why a state minister had been forced to confront such a situation. He also argued that the home minister should resign and accept responsibility for the alleged failure.

Raising concerns about public safety, the NCP leader said ordinary citizens did not possess firearms. He questioned how people could protect themselves if law and order continued to deteriorate and demanded answers from the relevant authorities.

Hasnat Abdullah also referred to a photograph circulating on social media. He claimed that a person named Pavel could be seen holding an unlicensed firearm behind Ishrak Hossain in the picture. He questioned what action would be taken against the individual concerned.

Hasnat called for an impartial investigation into the matter and demanded that action be taken in accordance with the law. However, no independently verified information was available beyond his statement to establish whether the firearm in question was licensed or unlicensed.

Hasnat further argued that forcing someone to resign was not enough to resolve allegations of criminal wrongdoing. He described the practice of securing resignations in response to serious allegations as the government's “short-time paracetamol therapy,” suggesting that temporary measures were being used to avoid addressing the underlying problems.

He said that whenever an allegation amounted to a criminal offence, it should be properly investigated. If evidence of wrongdoing were established, the person concerned should be brought under the law and held accountable through the judicial process.

Hasnat also claimed that a member of parliament had faced allegations of vandalizing a hospital but had only been made to resign. In his view, resignation could not serve as a substitute for punishment for a criminal offence. He insisted that responsibility must be determined through a proper investigation and legal proceedings.

Hasnat Abdullah's remarks, made alongside his visit to the Puja pavilion, have brought renewed attention to drug control, the law-and-order situation and the accountability of government officials.

However, a complete understanding of the allegations would require responses from the Home Ministry and the individuals concerned, as well as the results of any relevant investigations.