Supporters of BNP leader Engineer Ishraque Hossain have been staging continuous protests for five consecutive days, demanding that he be officially handed over the responsibilities of Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). On Monday, May 19, they plan to organize a blockade at the Nagar Bhaban (City Hall) from 11 AM to 5 PM.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, May 18, the Ministry of Local Government issued a statement saying it would wait for the High Court’s verdict on a pending writ petition before making any decisions regarding Ishraque’s mayoral appointment. The writ was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md. Mamunur Rashid, who also sent a legal notice on April 28, pointing out alleged irregularities in the tribunal’s ruling and urging authorities not to administer the oath to Ishraque. The writ challenges both the tribunal’s March 27 ruling and the revised gazette issued by the Election Commission on April 27 that declared Ishraque as the mayor. The petition also seeks disciplinary action against the election tribunal judge for what it describes as a “fraudulent verdict.”

The ministry noted that such disruptive protests, while the matter is sub judice, could amount to contempt of court and urged political activists to refrain from causing public suffering.

The original election took place on February 1, 2020, in which Ishraque, running as the BNP candidate, lost to Awami League’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by nearly 200,000 votes. However, in a dramatic turn of events, a lower court on March 27 this year annulled Taposh’s victory and declared Ishraque the rightful winner. Following that, the Election Commission published a gazette notification confirming Ishraque’s mayoral status. Despite this, he has yet to be sworn in, prompting his supporters to launch street protests starting Wednesday.

Senior lawyer Barrister Omar Faruk stated that Ishraque must be sworn in purely on grounds of justice and fairness, comparing it with similar cases where court rulings were followed. Another senior lawyer, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, argued that there are no legal barriers to Ishraque taking oath since the Election Commission did not appeal the verdict. He questioned the local government ministry’s delay, hinting at a possible ulterior motive, and called the inaction “regrettable.”