Dhaka, Oct. 18 -- State Minister for Liberation War Affairs and Dhaka-6 MP Ishraque Hossain has said he briefly raised his licensed firearm in "self-defence" during an anti-drug drive in the capital's Gendaria area on Saturday after receiving warnings of possible "security threats".

In a statement issued on Sunday, Ishraque said he, along with his security personnel, got out of their vehicles and raised the weapon briefly when a group of 30 to 35 people allegedly approached their convoy aggressively near a suspected drug den.

He claimed that law enforcement agencies and his own intelligence sources had warned him of possible security risks, including the possibility of drug traders firing at them from rooftops.

"The weapon was raised f...