Abu Jakir :
The interim government has indicated it may proceed with organising fresh elections for the Dhaka North and South city corporations if BNP leader Ishraque Hossain continues to occupy the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters and refuses to take the mayoral oath through formal legal procedures.
At an informal meeting of the advisory council held on Thursday at the official residence of the Chief Adviser, Jamuna, several advisers expressed mounting frustration over the prolonged stalemate. The meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and attended by nine advisers, included calls for firm measures to restore civic administration at the DSCC’s Nagar Bhaban, which remains under lockdown.
Sources present at the meeting said that a message will soon be conveyed to the BNP leadership: unless Ishraque vacates the premises voluntarily, the government will move towards holding new elections for both Dhaka city corporations. A more formal decision is expected to be discussed at a follow-up meeting scheduled for Sunday.
The deadlock stems from a ruling by the Dhaka election tribunal in March, which declared Ishraque Hossain the legitimate winner of the contested 2020 Dhaka South mayoral election. The verdict was subsequently gazetted by the Election Commission (EC), although legal ambiguities persist. Following delays in administering the mayoral oath, Ishraque’s supporters-under the banner of “Dhakabashi”-occupied Nagar Bhaban on 14 May, padlocking offices and paralysing municipal services.
Faced with ongoing disruption and the absence of elected city leadership, officials in the Local Government Division confirmed they are preparing to formally request the EC to initiate fresh elections. “Given the disruption of essential services for nearly 20 million Dhaka residents, and with no functional city administration in place, fresh polls are now being viewed as imperative,” a senior official said.
The Election Commission has also received a formal petition from an activist of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), urging immediate elections for both city corporations on the grounds of administrative paralysis.
Advisers at Thursday’s meeting raised concerns that Ishraque’s unauthorised occupation of public offices and assumption of mayoral functions could constitute criminal offences. However, many cautioned against deploying force to end the standoff, fearing it could strain relations with the BNP, particularly in the wake of recent dialogue in London between Chief Adviser Yunus and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
The prevailing view among advisers was to issue a strong political message: Ishraque must vacate Nagar Bhaban and restore order, or the government will proceed with fresh municipal elections. “The state’s authority cannot be undermined by one building remaining padlocked,” an adviser remarked after the meeting.
Political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP have criticised Ishraque’s actions, viewing them as an attempt to legitimise the flawed electoral processes under the previous Awami League government. Advisers also expressed concern that any forcible removal could elevate Ishraque’s status as a political martyr during a sensitive transitional period.
In a related development, Jamaat-e-Islami has publicly backed the holding of local government elections before national polls. Speaking at a rally in Cumilla, Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said: “We are open to elections between December and February, even as late as April, but we insist that local elections should come first.”
Conversely, BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Abdus Salam, speaking to reporters in Rajshahi, opposed the idea of local polls preceding national elections, stating that “BNP will consider the situation carefully. But holding local elections before the next national election is unacceptable.”
Amid the political impasse, fresh allegations of corruption have surfaced within the DSCC. In a recent Facebook post, student activist Sarjis Alam accused Md. Khairul Baker, Superintending Engineer for Environment, Climate, and Disaster Management at DSCC, of amassing over Tk 600 crore in illicit wealth.
The post alleges Khairul, once from a modest background, acquired extensive assets in Dhaka and Narsingdi under the names of relatives-funded through kickbacks during the previous administration’s tenure.
As the political deadlock deepens, the interim government appears increasingly inclined to resolve the issue through electoral means, aiming to restore governance in the capital’s critical municipal institutions.
