Murad Hassan resigns from cabinet

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Md Murad Hassan resigned from his cabinet post following a social media storm over derogatory remarks on women and scandalous audio leaks.

The junior Minister Murad Hassan submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday showing personal reasons for quitting his job.

Murad Hassan had been under increasing criticism by various quarters for his disrespectful remarks on women in an interview on social media. A number of audios and videos containing indecent remarks by Murad Hassan also went viral on social media during the last few days.

A two-year-old phone conversation of the junior minister with actor Mamnun Hasan Emon and actress Mahiya Mahi recently went viral on social media. In that audio clip, Murad made "derogatory comments" on the actress, threatened her and gave her an alleged indecent proposal.

On Monday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked State Minister for Information Murad Hassan to resign from the cabinet by Tuesday for his recent derogatory remarks on social media.

“I had talks with the Prime Minister in this regard in the evening, and the message has been passed to the state minister around 8pm,” said Obaidul Quader, also the Awami League General Secretary.

Demanding his immediate resignation, women and rights bodies and political parties slammed Murad for the indecent remarks he made against women.

BNP on Monday demanded State Minister for Information Dr Murad Hassan apologise publicly and withdraw his “politically motivated, racial and derogatory” remarks against women and the Zia family.

In a statement, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also urged Murad to step down immediately. Otherwise, he threatened that a befitting reply would be given to Murad at an appropriate time.

Fakhrul expressed strong hatred and anger against “perverted, indecorous, racist and anti-women” remarks by the state minister that went viral on social media.

He demanded immediate attention and solution to such disgusting and indecent behaviour of a person performing important duty of the state.

The BNP leader said the entire nation was stunned that the derogatory comments came from an “insane” person carrying the national flag.

MSH