Ishraque urges Adviser Asif to show restraint, avoid provocation

Staff Reporter :

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has called on Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyan to exercise caution in his public remarks and avoid any provocative or retaliatory actions, in order to maintain the current state of relative calm.

Speaking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday, June 25, Ishraque emphasized the importance of restraint during this politically sensitive period.

“Hopefully, Asif Mahmud will help maintain the current relative calm by showing restraint in his speech and remarks,” Ishraque said.

He further urged the adviser not to take any punitive measures against officers and employees of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) who participated in the ongoing movement.

“This is a warning message. The city’s residents will not tolerate any deviation from this. If the movement resumes, it won’t be confined to Nagar Bhaban—it will spread to the streets. That must be avoided,” he cautioned.

Since May 14, Ishraque’s supporters and BNP activists, under the banner Dhakabashi, have been staging a sit-in protest outside the DSCC headquarters. Later, the DSCC employees’ union also joined the demonstration, escalating the pressure on city authorities.

Ishraque, who lost the 2020 Dhaka South mayoral election to Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by nearly 200,000 votes, was declared the new mayor by the Election Commission on April 27 this year. The announcement came after an electoral tribunal overturned the 2020 result on March 27.

However, the Local Government Ministry has so far refused to organize his oath-taking ceremony, citing unresolved legal issues, leading to continued tension surrounding the matter.