Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Ishraque Hossain on Monday issued a legal notice to the Local Government Division secretary demanding the administer of his oath as the Dhaka South City Corporation mayor within 24 hours while the BNP leader鈥檚 supporters continued their protest at the DSCC headquarters, Nagar Bhaban, and all its zonal offices.聽
Ishraque, in the legal notice, asked the government to administer his oath within 24 hours or face legal consequences, including possible contempt of court proceedings.
The legal notice, issued by lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, accused the government of ignoring the High Court鈥檚 May 22 decision that dismissed a writ petition challenging the lower court鈥檚 March 27 order and a subsequent gazette notification declaring him the elected mayor on April 27.
The notice was sent both via registered post and to the secretary鈥檚 WhatsApp number on Monday.
The lower court鈥檚 March 27 order directed the Election Commission to publish a gazette naming Ishraque the mayor, a step that was fulfilled on April 27.
As per law, the Local Government Division is obliged to administer the oath within 30 days of gazette notification. Yet, the delay continues, drawing sharp criticism from protesters.
Ishraque鈥檚 supporters on Monday continued their protest at Nagar Bhaban by locking its gates and the gates of its all zonal officers for the 10th consecutive day.
As a result, essential public services in DSCC remained suspended, plunging thousands of citizens into suffering.
鈥榃e gave a 48-hour ultimatum and 24 hours have passed. The government still did nothing,鈥� said former bureaucrat Moshiur Rahman while addressing a gathering of protesters at Nagar Bhaban.
鈥業f Ishraque is not sworn in by Tuesday, we鈥檒l launch a tougher movement,鈥� he warned.
Though emergency cleaning services continued in the city, the rest of the civic machinery remained paralysed on Monday.
Supreme Court lawyer Mamunur Rashid, who had filed the now-dismissed writ petition, on Monday moved the Appellate Division, seeking to appeal against the High Court鈥檚 order and stay the lower court verdict and gazette notification.
His counsel, Zahirul Islam Musa, affiliated with the newly formed National Citizen Party, told reporters that the matter is now sub judice, and thus the Local Government Division should withhold the oath until the appeal is resolved.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury, had ruled that Mamunur lacked legal standing to challenge the mayoral declaration since he was not a candidate in the 2020 election.
After the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024, the interim government declared the DSCC mayoral office vacant on August 19.
