Staff Reporter :
Thousands of supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain locked all entry points to the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters, Nagar Bhaban, on Saturday, demanding that their leader be sworn in as mayor in accordance with a recent Election Commission declaration.
On-site observations confirmed that all gates of Nagar Bhaban were secured with padlocks by demonstrators, effectively bringing municipal operations to a standstill for the day.
The protestors, mobilised under the banner of ‘Dhakabashi’ (Residents of Dhaka), also pledged to continue their demonstration on Sunday.
The demonstration follows a March 27 tribunal ruling that annulled the 2020 mayoral election victory of Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, naming BNP-backed Ishraque Hossain as the rightful winner.
The Election Commission subsequently sought legal guidance from the Law Ministry on 22 April regarding the publication of an official gazette confirming the decision.
Protesters began their march around 11:30am, traversing key city landmarks including Gulistan Mazar, Zero Point, Paltan Press Club, the Education Building, and Bongobazar, before returning to the city corporation building.
Anticipating unrest, law enforcement authorities established barricades along roads leading to the Secretariat to block any attempted advance towards government offices, in line with the demonstrators’ earlier declaration of a “Long March to the Secretariat.”
Earlier in the day, Dhakabashi supporters staged a sit-in outside the locked main gate of Nagar Bhaban, chanting slogans such as: “No more delay in the swearing-in,” “Swear in Ishraque Hossain now,” and “Ishraq Bhai is the people’s mayor; no other mayor is acceptable.”
The protesters also called for the resignation of Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, accusing him of obstructing the tribunal verdict’s implementation.
As tensions continue, political observers note that the situation underscores deepening discontent over electoral justice and governance within Dhaka’s urban administration.
