Staff Correspondent

Supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain have gathered outside the Nagar Bhaban again today, despite the rain, demanding that Ishraque be formally handed over the duties of mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.

Due to the ongoing protest, the Nagar Bhaban has remained locked for the 14th day. The protest had been suspended for two days after BNP leader Ishraque Hossain announced a 48-hour ultimatum on 22 May.In order to protest, supporters of Ishraque started to gather in front of the Dhaka North headquarters in small groups since early morning, ignoring the heavy rain that showered the capital and adjacent areas. They were seen chanting various slogans in support of Ishraque, including "Swear-in Ishraq Hossain immediately," "Don't make excuses about oath," our correspondent reports from the spot.Members of various city corporation workers' unions have stopped attending work in support of the movement. Since 14 May, they have been observing the sit-in programme by locking every gate of Nagar Bhaban. At the same time, they have announced that they will continue this movement until Ishraque is given the responsibility of mayor.

Haji Anwar of Wari, who participated in the sit-in programme today, said, "We voted for Ishraque after fighting with Hasina. But Hasina did not let him sit on that chair. Now, despite a court verdict, this government is doing the same thing as Hasina. They are mocking us. We have protested this and will continue to do so. We will make them swear in Ishraque."

Anwar, aged over 60, also said, "I have come to this movement while getting soaked in this rain. And the government has started making fun of us. But we will not accept these jokes. Accept our demands quickly, otherwise we will bring Dhaka to a standstill."

Mohan, a city corporation worker, said, "Our only demand is that Ishraque Hossain be made mayor. Otherwise, nothing in the Nagar Bhaban will operate. We will not do any work until Ishraque is made mayor. None of us will participate in any activities."

Former secretary Mashiur Rahman, coordinator of the Dhaka residents in the movement, said, "This movement is logical for us. Our only demand is that Ishraque be made mayor. But the interim government has started a drama about this. We do not support any drama. Our movement will continue until our demands are met."

The protesters also demanded the resignation of Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud.

The Appellate Division, after hearing a leave to appeal petition for staying the court judgment and the Election Commission (EC) gazette that declared Ishraque Hossain mayor, said the EC will decide whether he will be sworn in as the mayor of Dhaka South.

A full bench of seven judges, led by Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed, disposed of the appeal petition and gave an order with observations.

The controversy over Ishraque's mayoral oath stems from the 1 February 2020 Dhaka South election, where Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh of the Awami League was declared the winner amid allegations of irregularities.

Ishraque challenged the results in court, and on 27 March this year, Dhaka's First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal declared Ishraque the mayor, nullifying the earlier result. The Election Commission published a gazette declaring Ishraque mayor on 27 April.

However, on 14 May, a writ petition was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Mamunur Rashid seeking to block Ishraque's oath-taking.

The Local Government Ministry postponed the swearing-in, citing legal complications. Supporters of Ishraque, son of late Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, are continuing their protest at Nagar Bhaban today, appeared steadfast in their demands, saying they would not leave until he takes charge of Dhaka South.

The protesters gathered in front of Nagar Bhaban are chanting slogans welcoming the court's verdict. They are also chanting in support of Ishraque and demanding the resignation of Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan.

The protesters are chanting slogans such as: "One, two, three, four, Asif you're a dictator," "One point, one demand – Asif must resign," "Slap shoes on both of Asif's cheeks," "Move forward, brother Ishraque – we are with you."

After the court's verdict, BNP leader Ishraque Hossain joined the protesters at Nagar Bhaban at around 2:15pm. 

When Ishraque Hossain arrived at Nagar Bhaban, the protesters surrounded him and began chanting slogans.

Ishraque Hossain said, "We had faith in the court, and the court has ruled in our favour. This has only strengthened our trust in the judiciary."

"I am grateful to all those who braved storms and rain to stay on the streets during the past two weeks of protests," he said. 

"Asif Mahmud must resign immediately. The court's verdict must be implemented without delay," he added.Ishraque said, "The gazette has been upheld. This proves that from the very beginning, we have respected the rule of law. We, my party BNP, have always honoured the law. It has also become clear that some advisers of the current government have tried to delay and manipulate the verdict."

"Either swear me in and implement the court's verdict immediately, or from tomorrow, we will launch a tougher movement along with the city's residents," he added. 

Ishraque further said, "We are giving the interim government one last chance. Do not go against the people. If you're creating this much complication over the swearing-in of just one person, how will you manage elections and the swearing-in of MPs in 300 constituencies? This has raised serious concerns among the public."The ongoing movement is being led by supporters of the opposition BNP, who claim their mandate has been deliberately ignored for years. Despite assurances from officials, protesters say they will not leave the streets until Ishraque formally assumes office.