The Local Government Ministry is still awaiting the final court verdict regarding the swearing-in of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). This information was disclosed in a press release issued on Tuesday.
The release, signed by Md Salauddin, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, stated that preparations were underway to administer Ishraque’s oath as mayor after a writ petition filed in the High Court was dismissed.
However, the situation changed on May 25 when Ishraque Hossain himself filed a fresh writ petition, alleging delays in his swearing-in. The following day, May 26, a citizen filed a “leave to appeal” petition in the Appellate Division against the High Court’s dismissal order.
As a result, the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court. Given these circumstances, the Local Government Ministry has made it clear that it will not proceed with the oath-taking ceremony until further court directives are issued.
Earlier, the High Court ruled that although Ishraque Hossain, BNP’s mayoral candidate in the 2020 election, had won lawfully, the administration was not responsible for his failure to take the oath. However, Ishraque’s side has claimed that the government is deliberately obstructing his swearing-in.
In protest, Ishraque’s supporters staged an eight-day sit-in outside Nagar Bhaban and in Kakrail starting May 14, demanding his swearing-in as mayor. The protest was suspended after a court ruling in his favour but resumed over the past two days following the filing of another writ petition.
These protests have disrupted public services in Dhaka South City Corporation and caused severe traffic congestion in surrounding areas, leading to public suffering.