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Published : 16 Jun 2025, 05:25 PM
BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has held a meeting with Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) employees at the Nagar Bhaban amid a prolonged political and legal standoff.
Ishraque, who was declared elected mayor by the Election Tribunal in March, appeared as the chief guest at a waste management department meeting held in the Nagar Bhaban auditorium on Monday.
The banner behind him described him as “honourable mayor” -- a title he has not officially assumed.
Asked about the banner, Ishraque told reporters that organisers often use the title when inviting him to public events. “This is not my demand -- it’s the people’s demand,” he said.
“The Election Commission published a gazette declaring me the elected mayor. The top court has affirmed this. Anyone disputing it should enrich their understanding,” he added.
In the meeting, Ishraque instructed staff to intensify mosquito control efforts amid a growing dengue outbreak in the capital.
Later at a media briefing, he said he plans to meet with officials across all DSCC departments to ensure uninterrupted civic services.
“We are holding these meetings to make sure services like birth and death registration, ward certification, and other essentials are delivered directly from local ward offices,” he said.
Supporters of Ishraque, the son of late mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, have been staging a sit-in in front of Nagar Bhaban under the banner of “Dhakabasi” since May 14. The protest briefly paused for the Eid holidays but resumed on Sunday.
During the protest, Ishraque declared he would assume de facto control of city services, though officials loyal to the outgoing administration would not be allowed to continue development work.
He insisted the movement would not end until he is sworn in and said the protest would continue even as services resumed. “The lock on the Nagar Bhaban gate will remain as a symbol of resistance,” he stated.
POLITICAL STANDOFF BEHIND BLOCKING OATH
Ishraque blamed the interim government for blocking his swearing-in on political grounds.
“This is purely a political decision -- they don’t want a BNP representative in power,” he said. “They’ve installed an administrator of their choice to exploit illegal advantages in the upcoming general elections.”
Despite weeks of protest, he claimed, no government official has contacted him or shown any interest in resolving the deadlock. “Until now, there has been zero communication,” he said.
He accused the government of running a “parallel administration” in violation of court rulings. “Once the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division dismissed the writ challenging my gazette notification, the administrator became illegitimate,” Ishraque argued.
Ishraque lost the 2020 Dhaka South mayoral election to ruling Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by nearly 200,000 votes. But on Mar 27 this year, an electoral tribunal overturned the result, and the Election Commission formally gazetted Ishraque as the new mayor on Apr 27.
However, the Local Government Ministry has refused to arrange his oath ceremony, citing unresolved legal issues -- a move that has left Nagar Bhaban effectively paralysed amid escalating political tensions.
