Sacked state minister Murad Hassan asks for Hasina’s forgiveness

Murad Hassan, the disgraced politician who lost his government and party posts for lewd remarks and threats, has taken to Facebook to ask for Sheikh Hasina’s forgiveness.

Addressing Hasina, the prime minister and chief of the Awami League, as a “respectable mother” and the “jewel of the country”, Murad wrote on Wednesday:

“Please forgive me, for God’s sake. I will always accept whatever decision you make, like I did when my father would make the call.”

Murad has not made public appearance since Monday after Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced Hasina’s order for Murad to resign as the state minister for information.

On Tuesday morning, Murad asked the women of Bangladesh for their forgiveness in a Facebook post after a scandalous audio leak of expletive-laden misogynistic comments that went viral on social media.

“If I have made a mistake, or my words have hurt our mothers and sisters, then I ask for your forgiveness,” he wrote.

He submitted his resignation letter via email later that day, and then sent a hard copy of the letter. The Cabinet Division later announced a notice confirming his resignation.

The Awami League’s Jamalpur District Unit also removed him as its health and population affairs secretary, but Murad was nowhere to be seen.   

He skipped a programme on Monday amid widespread criticism while his phone was unreachable. Media reports said he was staying in a hotel in Chattogram and left it that night.

Ministry officials and local party leaders said Murad did not contact them. The phones of his aides were also off, an official said.