Ishraque’s supporters rally at DSCC, demand swift oath as mayor

Supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain today staged a demonstration outside the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters demanding that he be sworn in and given the responsibilities of the city mayor.

Several hundreds of supporters began gathering outside the Nagar Bhaban, the central office of DSCC located in the capital's Gulistan, around 9:00am.

Witnesses said the BNP leader's supporters started to throng the area as early as 8:30am and chant slogans in favour of their demand.

On March 27, Dhaka's First Joint District Judge and Electoral Tribunal announced Ishraque as the mayor of the DSCC. He is a member of the BNP's Foreign Affairs Committee.

Following the court verdict, the Election Commission published a gazette on April 27, officially declaring him as the mayor.

However, the protesters alleged that no steps have yet been taken to administer Ishraque's oath or give the mayoral responsibilities to him.

"We voted for Ishraque and elected him as the mayor. That result (the city election result) was manipulated, and he was unfairly defeated. The court has restored his rightful position, but the authorities are now using delaying tactics," said Monowar Hossain, a resident of Arambagh, who joined the protest.