BNP Leader Ishraq Hossain, who is awaiting his swearing-in as the Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), has directed his supporters to remain on the streets until “necessary,” in a statement made on his official Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon.
“The directive is simple: As long as needed, we cannot leave the streets,” Ishraq wrote.
His supporters started a fresh demonstration on Wednesday by occupying the busy Kakrail Road in the capital, demanding that he be sworn in as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.
The protest has brought traffic to a standstill at key points, including the Kakrail intersection, Matsya Bhaban, and surrounding areas, leading to severe congestion and public inconvenience.
This is the latest in a series of demonstrations by Ishraque’s supporters, who have been holding a sit-in programme in front of Nagar Bhaban since May 14.
The protestors claim that Ishraque rightfully won the mayoral post in the last election, but has not been sworn in due to alleged political interference by the interim government.
On Tuesday, Ishraque’s supporters issued a warning that, if he was not sworn in by 10am on Wednesday, they would intensify their agitation.
True to their word, they escalated the protest by taking their movement to the streets of Kakrail — one of Dhaka’s busiest administrative and traffic arteries, and close to Jamuna, the official residence of the chief adviser.
Due to the prolonged sit-in at Nagar Bhaban, city administrative functions have been severely disrupted. Most official work remains suspended and public services have been hampered.
Ishraq Hossain has been sharing updates on the ongoing protests through various posts on his personal Facebook page.
In the last Dhaka South City Corporation election, held on February 1, 2020, Ishraq, a member of BNP’s International Affairs Committee, lost by a margin of nearly 2 lakh votes to Awami League’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. However, following a change in power, on March 27, 2023, the Dhaka Election Tribunal annulled the results of the election and declared Ishraq as the legitimate mayor.
Subsequently, on April 27, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification confirming Ishraq as the mayor of DSCC. However, his swearing-in ceremony has not yet taken place due to several “complications.” The Ministry of Local Government has yet to organise such an event.
A writ petition has been filed in the High Court demanding that the Election Commission’s gazette notification be canceled and that Ishraq’s swearing-in be conducted. A verdict on the matter is expected to be issued on Thursday.
The ongoing political strife in Dhaka highlights the tensions surrounding local government elections, as supporters continue to push for what they consider a victory that very much belongs to BNP.