BNP leader Ishraque Hossain on Wednesday urged Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyan to exercise restraint in his statements and avoid retaliatory measures that could disrupt the current fragile calm.
Speaking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club, the newly declared Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor cautioned, “I hope Asif Mahmud will help maintain stability by being measured in his remarks.”
He specifically warned against targeting DSCC staff who participated in recent protests, stating, “This is a clear warning—citizens won’t tolerate vindictiveness. If unrest reignites, it won’t stay confined to Nagar Bhaban but will spill onto the streets.”
Ishraque’s supporters, under the Dhakabashi banner, began a sit-in at DSCC headquarters on May 14, later joined by the corporation’s employee union.
Though Ishraque lost the 2020 mayoral race to AL’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by 200,000 votes, an electoral tribunal overturned the result on March 27.
The Election Commission gazetted him as mayor on April 27, but the ministry has stalled his oath-taking, citing pending legal issues.
The Election Commission maintains its role ended with the gazette notification.
