Law minister on state minister: prime minister will take the final decision, no one is above the law
Photo: Collected
If anyone has done anything contrary to the expectations of ordinary people, the honourable prime minister will take the final decision on the matter – so said Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Advocate Md Asaduzzaman Asad. In his words, no one here is above the law.
He said this on Monday morning in reply to questions from journalists after inaugurating the newly built building of the Jhenaidah Primary Teachers’ Training Institute (PTI) and a tree-planting programme. The law minister gave this reaction when asked about the recent matter concerning State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain and the government’s position on his resignation.
On criticism from the opposition, including Jamaat, over the appointment of fertiliser dealers, the law minister said fertiliser dealers across the country had been appointed by following the legal and prescribed process. There had been no irregularity in this process. The opposition’s job is to oppose. They will oppose even when the government sets out to do good work. But we are paying no heed to it. We believe that those who have been given allocations are getting their fair and due share.
On the participation of MPO-listed teachers in local government elections, the minister said there is no legal bar to MPO-listed teachers taking part in local government elections. They will be able to take part just as they used to earlier.
Noting that the government is hopeful of completing the local government elections in a free and orderly manner, he called for trust to be placed in the government on this.
Earlier in the morning, the law minister took part as chief guest in a meeting of the management committee of the 250-bed Jhenaidah General Hospital. The meeting discussed improving the quality of the hospital’s medical services and its overall management.
Present at the ceremony were the prime minister’s political assistant Rashed Khan, district BNP president and zila parishad administrator MA Majid, general secretary Jahiduzzaman Mona, central Jubo Dal joint general secretary Asaduzzaman, deputy commissioner Md Noman Hossain, superintendent of police Mia Mohammad Ashis Bin Hasan, civil surgeon Dr Md Kamruzzaman, along with officials of the local administration, members of the district police and political leaders.
Background
According to a Prothom Alo report of 18 October 2026, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs and Dhaka-6 MP Ishraque Hossain raised a pistol while on an anti-drug raid in Gendaria in the capital, and criticism began after video of it spread.
The same report said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police began an investigation into the matter; DMP detective chief Shafiqul Islam said the deputy commissioner of Wari division had been given charge of the investigation.
That Prothom Alo report further said that in a statement on Facebook on Sunday, Ishraque Hossain claimed that he and his bodyguards had raised their weapons briefly in apprehension of a possible attack, and that his firearm is licensed.
According to a report in The Business Standard of 15 October 2026, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar raised allegations of partisanship, nepotism and money changing hands in the appointment of fertiliser dealers at an emergency press briefing at the party’s central office in Maghbazar, Dhaka, and demanded an investigation.
The numbers
That report in The Business Standard of 15 October, citing Golam Parwar, said an inquiry based on media reports found fertiliser shortages in the constituencies of 14 BNP members of parliament.
The same report noted that allegations of dealers being appointed in exchange for money arose in Dinajpur and in Badarganj of Rangpur; he also claimed that a dealers’ list issued on BNP letterhead in Pirganj of Rangpur carried the names of Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party leaders.
Sources
Background sources: Prothom Alo, 18 October 2026; The Business Standard, 15 October 2026
