Speaker of the National Parliament Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has said leaders and activists of the ruling party must reform themselves, stressing that neither legal nor illegal weapons are appropriate for a minister or state minister to carry.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at a civic reception held at the Lalmohan Upazila Parishad Auditorium in Bhola on Tuesday (October 20).

The Speaker referred to allegations that a female member of parliament had occupied a hospital in Dhaka. He said the Prime Minister had instructed her to resign from her position over the incident. Similarly, State Minister Ishraq Hossain, son of former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, also resigned on Monday.

Describing Ishraq Hossain’s initiative to tackle drugs and criminal activities as positive, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said he had gone to confront a group of drug users who allegedly fired at police. However, he said Ishraq should not have taken up a weapon himself, as it was inconsistent with his official position.

“He is a state minister. He has bodyguards and police personnel accompanying him,” the Speaker said, adding that Ishraq could have handled the situation with their assistance or sought support from party activists if necessary.

The Speaker said this was why the Prime Minister had instructed Ishraq to resign. However, he maintained that the initiative to combat drugs and criminal activities was positive and said the public would assess his actions in the future.

Referring to the upcoming union parishad elections, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said some people would try to present themselves as virtuous ahead of the polls. He said elections gave people the opportunity to choose their representatives through voting and select candidates they considered qualified.