The High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking to bar BNP leader Ishraque Hossain from taking oath as Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), effectively removing legal obstacles to his swearing-in.
The order was delivered on Thursday (May 22) by a division bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury.
The ruling comes amid ongoing protests by BNP supporters demanding Ishraque's oath be administered following an Election Tribunal verdict and the issuance of a gazette by the Election Commission (EC).
Demonstrators under the banner “Dhakabashi” have blocked the main gate of DSCC’s Nagar Bhaban, alleging deliberate delays by government officials.
Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, has opposed the protests, citing ten unresolved legal complications, including conflicting court verdicts, the EC’s failure to appeal, and questions over the legitimacy of Ishraque’s term.
He maintained that the oath should not proceed until all legal complexities are resolved, although he confirmed the Local Government Division has no objection once those issues are cleared.
In response, Ishraque accused certain officials in the interim government of politically motivated obstruction ahead of national elections, vowing to continue the movement until the “people’s vote and democratic rights” are upheld.
The deadlock continues as both sides hold firm on legal and political grounds.
