Nagar Bhaban still locked

Despite an earlier announcement to temporarily relax the ongoing protest programme, the main gate of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) headquarters at Nagar Bhaban remained locked yesterday.

As a result, citizens seeking services were forced to return empty-handed, while most officials did not attend office.

Supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain have been staging a sit-in in front of Nagar Bhaban since May 14, demanding that he be sworn in as the mayor of DSCC. The following day, on May 15, a majority of DSCC employees joined the protest in solidarity, leading to the locking of all gates and complete suspension of services.

On Tuesday, Ishraque announced a temporary suspension and relaxation of the programme in view of public suffering ahead of Eid.

"Eid is ahead. Keeping public suffering in mind, we have decided to somewhat relax and take a break from the siege programme," he had said.

Following this announcement, there were expectations that regular operations would resume yesterday, the last working day before Eid for government offices.

However, the gates of Nagar Bhaban remained locked, keeping DSCC services closed.

As a result, residents in DSCC areas have been deprived of services for 22 consecutive days, including birth and death registration, issuance and renewal of trade licences, holding tax payments, and issuance of heir certificates.

Ashraful Alam, a resident of Ray Shaheb Bazar, visited Nagar Bhaban around noon to correct his daughter's birth registration. It was his third attempt.

"This culture of holding the public hostage to realise demands must end. People are suffering unnecessarily," he said, expressing his frustration.

Several DSCC officials also tried to attend the office.

The Daily Star spoke to at least four of them. One, a deputy divisional head who requested anonymity, said, "On Tuesday, we were told that the office would reopen on Wednesday. But when I arrived in the morning, I found the main gate still locked. Neither the chief executive officer nor the administrator came in. So, I had to leave."

Another executive engineer shared a similar experience, saying, "While leaving home in the morning, my staff informed me that Nagar Bhaban remained closed. Later, after contacting several senior officials, I confirmed that the building was indeed shut."