PM orders State Minister Murad Hasan to resign by Tuesday: Obaidul
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Md Murad Hasan to step down by Tuesday from the cabinet over derogatory remarks on the daughter of BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
"I talked to the prime minister about him this evening, and I informed the state minister about the PM's decision subsequently," Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told journalists at his residence in Dhaka.
The state minister has been in the spotlight for the last couple of days over his derogatory remarks.
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Amid the criticisms, a leaked phone conversation of the state minister with an actress drew flak on Monday.
Subsequently, top Awami League leaders said if the allegations against the state minister were proved to be true, the party would take action against him.
Murad Hasan made hateful and racist remarks about Tarique Rahman's daughter Zaima Rahman a few days ago. Besides, in the leaked phone conversation, he was heard threatening the actress in abusive words.
Many Awami League leaders said the two back-to-back incidents involving the state minister embarrassed the government and the party too.
Mahbubul Alam Hanif, joint general secretary of the Awami League, told the press that the Murad issue would be discussed in party meeting.
Hanif said they would recommend action if the allegations against Murad were proved true.
"We heard the audio clip, and what he said is a moral breach," he said.
Despite being criticised for commenting on the BNP leader's daughter, Murad Hasan told the BBC on Sunday night that he would not withdraw his comments and he had done nothing wrong.
But the incident sparked controversy in the political arena as BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded the resignation of the state minister.
