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Published : 01 Jun 2025, 04:12 PM
After a two-day weekend break, protesters have once again besieged Nagar Bhaban, demanding that BNP leader Ishraque Hossain be handed the mayoral office at Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
The demonstration, which resumed at 11am on Sunday, included DSCC employee union leaders and activists, joined by around a hundred BNP activists led by Rabiul Alam Dipu, president of the party's Kadamtali Ward-52 unit.
The protesters locked all the gates of Nagar Bhaban and chanted slogans pressing their demands. They also called for the resignation of Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, the advisor on local government affairs.
“Ishraque Hossain is the people’s mayor. The government is stalling his oath-taking and resorting to injustice. They are in contempt of court. We have supported this movement from the beginning. We won’t leave the streets until the people’s mayor is sworn in,” said Dipu.
Criticising the government, Dipu added: “The verdict is in, the writ petition has been dismissed. What more are they waiting for? The government is deliberately refusing to hand over his responsibilities.”
Since May 14, Ishraque’s supporters and BNP activists have been staging sit-ins outside Nagar Bhaban under the banner of “Dhakabashi” (residents of Dhaka).
Due to the ongoing protest, all administrative activities of the DSCC have come to a halt, severely disrupting public services.
Ishraque’s supporters have blamed Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud for the hardships faced by citizens.
The most recent DSCC election was held on Feb 1, 2020. Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh defeated BNP’s Ishraque, son of former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, by nearly 200,000 votes in the polls.
Following the change in government, the Dhaka Election Tribunal on Mar 27 annulled the 2020 results and declared Ishraque the rightful mayor. The EC subsequently published a gazette notification on Apr 27, formally recognising him as DSCC mayor.
However, on May 14, a resident of Dhaka South and Supreme Court lawyer Md Mamunur Rashid filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking to halt Ishraque’s swearing-in.
In response, Ishraque’s supporters began protesting the same day, demanding that he be sworn in. Their demonstrations brought administrative operations at Nagar Bhaban to a virtual standstill.
Citing legal complexities, the Local Government Division held back on arranging the swearing-in until the matter was resolved in the judiciary. Ishraque has expressed his anger over the decision and has demanded the resignation of Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud over the delay.
The High Court dismissed the petition on May 22 on the grounds that the petitioner did not have the jurisdiction to file such a plea.
The petitioner then filed an appeal in the Appellate Division against the High Court order on Monday.
After hearing the leave to appeal, the Appellate Division disposed of the petition with observations on Thursday.
