Ishraque Supporters Take Over City Hall, Lock Main Entrance!

ছবিঃ সিএনআই

News Desk: For the fourth consecutive day, supporters of Engineer Ishraque Hossain have been staging a protest in front of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters, demanding that he be officially handed over the responsibilities of mayor.

The protesters have locked the main gate of the City Hall and taken position there, preventing service seekers from entering the building.

Since Sunday morning (May 18), demonstrators have been rallying under the banner of Dhakabashi in front of the DSCC headquarters. Groups of supporters from various parts of the city have been arriving in small processions to join the protest, demanding an end to the delay in administering Ishraque Hossain’s oath of office.

Chanting slogans like “We want oath, Ishraque Bhai's oath!”, “No more delay in oath-taking!”, “Appoint Ishraque Hossain immediately!”, and “Ishraque is the people’s mayor – no one else!”, they voiced their frustration and determination.

Emdadul Haque, a protester from Jatrabari, said, “Engineer Ishraque was elected by the people. We want to see him as mayor without further delay. How long will the authorities keep the matter on hold? We ask the government: why hasn’t he been sworn in yet? Until the oath is administered, we will not leave the streets. If the delay continues, we will be forced to announce larger programs.”

Nasrin Akhter from Old Dhaka added, “Even though a gazette has already declared Ishraque Hossain as mayor, the oath has yet to be administered. We will continue our protests until he is officially given the responsibilities of mayor.”

Meanwhile, at a press conference held at the National Press Club on Saturday evening, Ishraque Hossain said that a case was filed within 30 days of the 2020 DSCC election. He alleged that Fazle Noor Taposh tried to halt the case using his influence, as the judiciary at the time was under the control of the ruling Awami League. “However,” he said, “we followed all legal procedures and received a verdict in our favor. Those questioning the court's verdict are committing contempt of court.”

Despite 20 days passing since the publication of the gazette, Ishraque has yet to be sworn in. “We are fully prepared to take the oath,” said the BNP leader.

It is worth noting that the DSCC election was held on February 1, 2020. Awami League’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh defeated BNP’s Ishraque Hossain by a margin of nearly 200,000 votes.

However, on March 27 this year, the result that had declared Taposh as the winner was overturned, and BNP’s Ishraque was announced as the mayor.

On April 22, after receiving a copy of the tribunal's verdict, the Election Commission sought legal advice from the Ministry of Law regarding the publication of the gazette.