Ishraq's Resignation Letter Accepted by the President and with the Cabinet Division — Gazette Notification May Come Today

Ishraq Hossain's resignation as State Minister for Liberation War Affairs has now reached the final stage of the formal process. Sources at the Cabinet Division said on Monday (October 19) that Ishraq's resignation letter has reached the Cabinet Division and has been accepted by the President. Only the gazette notification now remains.

Under the usual procedure, once the President accepts the resignation letter of a minister or state minister, the Cabinet Division issues a notification to that effect. It is through that notification that a resignation takes complete formal effect — the vacancy becomes operative in government offices and records.

Ishraq Hossain had been serving as State Minister in the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. At around 2:30pm on Monday, he announced his resignation himself at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital. With the news that the letter has since reached the authorities and been accepted by the President, the process is now all but complete.

The day's sequence of events was full of dramatic twists. According to running media accounts, Ishraq's position shifted repeatedly within a single day — from calling the resignation report a 'rumour' the night before, to a 'decision to resign' in the morning, to 'voluntary retirement' by afternoon. The Press Club press conference was the final chapter of that sequence.

When the notification will come is now the centre of discussion. According to a report in a major national daily, the notification may be issued today itself. With the Cabinet Division confirming the President's acceptance, that possibility has strengthened — once a file reaches this stage, the administrative process usually does not take long.

Although Cabinet Division sources confirmed receipt of the resignation letter, no formal announcement about the exact timing of the notification was immediately available from the division. A thin line of uncertainty therefore remains until the name appears in the government gazette.

Following a state minister's resignation, questions naturally arise over who will oversee the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. Whether the full minister will handle it personally or someone else will be given additional charge after the notification is issued will depend on the government's decision.

Given the debate Ishraq's resignation has generated in political circles over the past several days, the publication of the notification will not be a mere administrative formality — it will formally close a contentious chapter. Speculation is also running in various quarters about his next political position.

Reactions from opponents and critics, and statements from ruling-party circles, have been widely discussed in the media since the resignation announcement. Whether the notification turns that discussion in a new direction or it gradually fades will depend on the political developments that follow.

For now, all eyes are on the Cabinet Division. Whether the notification comes today, and if so whether it contains any direction about the redistribution of duties — once those two questions are answered, Ishraq Hossain's chapter as state minister will be fully closed.