Published: May 19, 2025, 06:58 PM
\"The oath-taking cannot proceed until the High Court resolves the matter and the legal complications are addressed. The BNP has chosen to disrupt city corporation operations by closing Nagar Bhaban forcefully rather than following due process,” Asif said in a Facebook post
BNP’s continued protests demanding the swearing-in of Ishraque Hossain as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation have sparked a new wave of political confrontation, with the government accusing the party of unlawfully disrupting civic operations. On Sunday (19 May), LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan alleged that the BNP had forcefully shut down Nagar Bhaban and was obstructing public services instead of respecting legal procedures.
In a detailed Facebook post, Asif said, “The oath-taking cannot proceed until the High Court resolves the matter and the legal complexities are addressed. Rather than adhering to the process, the BNP has chosen to create disruption by forcefully closing Nagar Bhaban.” He claimed that the protest had halted city corporation activities, resulting in public inconvenience.
Asif outlined several legal irregularities surrounding the Election Commission Tribunal’s verdict that declared Ishraque the winner. He said the Tribunal’s ruling contradicted a prior High Court order that declared the amendment to Ishraque’s petition illegal. He also pointed out that the verdict was one-sided, as the Election Commission did not attend the hearing and later chose not to appeal.
He added that the Election Commission published a gazette announcing Ishraque’s win at 10pm without waiting for legal advice from the Law Ministry and ignored prior legal notices from citizens. Asif stressed that the Local Government Division was not even a party to the case and was given no directive in the verdict, yet a writ petition was filed naming the division as the respondent due to the Commission’s failure to conduct the oath.
In a broader context, Asif drew attention to a related case involving Barishal City Corporation, where the Tribunal had dismissed a similar petition by considering the High Court’s ruling-suggesting inconsistent decisions by the same Tribunal.
He further raised a constitutional concern regarding Ishraque’s potential term as mayor, questioning whether it had a legal timeframe or was open-ended, given the complexities of the current scenario. “The Election Commission’s own letter implies the need to wait for a resolution of the legal issues before proceeding,” he noted.
Asif also criticized Ishraque’s conduct, describing his actions as aggressive and disrespectful, and asserted that intelligence reports suggest the ongoing protest was orchestrated by BNP leadership and affiliated groups-not spontaneous public outrage.
His comments came as BNP supporters entered their fifth consecutive day of protests, blocking roads in front of Nagar Bhaban and the Golap Shah Mazar intersection, intensifying calls for Ishraque’s formal swearing-in.
