The office of State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraq Hossain has dismissed reports that he has resigned or been instructed to step down, describing them as false, baseless, fabricated and motivated. It has urged media outlets that published the reports to withdraw them and publish accurate information.

Mahfuz Kabir Mukta, press officer to the state minister, issued a statement on Sunday (October 18) protesting the reports circulated by various media outlets and on social media.

According to the statement, reports claiming that Ishraq Hossain had resigned or been directed to resign were entirely false and intended to mislead the public.

The statement said the state minister continued to discharge his official and political responsibilities with dedication and a good reputation. It added that no instruction had been issued by the government’s highest level for him to resign and that there was no question of his stepping down.

It further alleged that certain quarters were spreading misinformation to serve political interests and create confusion among the public.

Regarding the incident on Saturday (October 17), the statement said the state minister had displayed a firearm lawfully in self-defence during a situation that arose at an anti-drug social resistance programme in his parliamentary constituency. It added that the minister had already clarified his position on the incident.

The statement also described reports linking the incident to his resignation as unlawful and contrary to journalistic ethics.

The press officer urged media organisations and the public not to be misled by what he called propaganda. Media outlets that had published the disputed reports were asked to withdraw them immediately and publish accurate information.

The statement warned that legal action would be taken against those responsible for spreading misinformation if the reports were not withdrawn.