NN Online:
Supreme Court lawyer Jashim Uddin has issued a legal notice to National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Sarjis Alam, accusing him of contempt of court over a Facebook post criticizing a recent High Court ruling.
The notice, sent on Saturday, was prompted by Sarjis’s reaction to the High Court’s dismissal of a writ petition seeking to block BNP leader Ishraque Hossain from assuming the office of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor.
Following the court’s decision on Thursday, Sarjis posted on Facebook:
“If a verdict can be obtained from the High Court by forming a mob, then what is the need for such a High Court?”
Lawyer Jashim Uddin deemed the post contemptuous, stating it undermined the dignity of the judiciary.
“He has been asked to issue an unconditional public apology within two hours of receiving the notice,” Jashim said.
The controversy stems from the 2020 DSCC election, where Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh defeated BNP’s Ishraque Hossain by nearly 200,000 votes. However, after the recent change in government, the Dhaka electoral tribunal annulled that result on March 27, declaring Ishraque the rightful mayor.
The Election Commission officially recognized Ishraque’s mayorship in a gazette published on April 27. But on May 14, Supreme Court lawyer and Dhaka South resident Md Mamunur Rashid filed a writ petition to block his swearing-in.
That same day, Ishraque’s supporters launched protests, effectively bringing Nagar Bhaban’s operations to a standstill. The Local Government Ministry, citing legal complexities, held off on arranging the oath-taking ceremony.
Amid the tension, Ishraque demanded the resignation of advisors Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and Mahfuj Alam in a Facebook post — a demand echoed by his followers. Later that day, the High Court rejected the petition against Ishraque’s appointment, prompting Sarjis’s contentious Facebook comment.
Ishraque responded by suspending the protests, giving the authorities a 48-hour deadline to arrange his swearing-in.
Despite the delay, Ishraque has continued asserting his authority.
On Friday morning, he declared in a Facebook post:
“The oath is just a formality. As the people’s mayor, it is my responsibility to ensure proper waste management ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.”
He also pledged to assist Dhaka North’s administration in the absence of an elected mayor and announced the formation of zone-based monitoring teams for Dhaka South in coordination with former councillors and candidates from the last election.
