Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Ishraque Hossain’s supporters on Sunday called on the Dhaka South City Corporation employees to resume work from today, as the supporters ended over a month-long shutdown of its headquarters and zonal offices.
Ishraque supporters locked the city corporation headquarters Nagar Bhaban on May 15, demanding that the interim government must swear the BNP leader in as Dhaka South City mayor following a favourable Election Commission gazette and a High Court order.
At a press briefing on Sunday, they, however, said that the DSCC administrator office and engineering division would remain closed and their sit-in at Nagar Bhaban pressing for Ishraque’s swearing-in would continue.
At the briefing held on the Nagar Bhaban premises under the banner of ‘Dhakabashi’ (Dhaka residents), chief coordinator of the protest campaign Mashiur Rahman came up with the call for resuming work and their latest decision regarding continuing the movement.
Calling on the protesters to resist all conspiracies by the local government adviser, he also urged the city corporation officials to carry out their responsibilities.
‘No corrupt official…or ally of the fascist Awami League will be allowed to enter Nagar Bhaban or regional offices,’ he said, adding that no new appointment at the DSCC would be allowed.
The protesters also demanded the removal of local government adviser Asif Mahmud Sojib Bhuiyan, accusing him of defying the constitution and court orders by preventing Ishraque from taking oath.
They also alleged that adviser Asif had instructed the regional executive officers to halt fuel supply for the waste transport vehicles and stop signing birth, death and heir certificates in an attempt to shift the blame onto the protesters.
Meanwhile on the day, several DSCC employees said that they resumed office work from around 2:00pm following the announcement by the protesters.
Since May 15, civic services at Nagar Bhaban and other DSCC zonal offices had remained stalled as the protesters locked the offices, causing immense suffering to city dwellers.
In June 16–18, Ishraque chaired meetings with the city corporation staff at Nagar Bhaban with banners carrying writing on them that addressed and referred him as honourable or elected mayor.
In the meetings, where the issue of continuing public services was mainly discussed, Ishraque accused adviser Asif of obstructing the essential services of the city corporation, while deflecting blame onto the demonstrators.
The EC on April 27 this year issued a gazette declaring Ishraque as the DSCC mayor after the Election Tribunal announced him as mayor on March 27.
But the EC gazette was challenged by Supreme Court lawyer Mamunur Rashid, who filed a writ in the High Court against the notification on May 14.
Later, although the HC cleared the way for his mayoral oath, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, told the media that the oath could not be administered because the gazette’s validity had expired during the time it was under the court’s consideration.
After the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024, the interim government declared the DSCC mayoral office vacant on August 19.
