Push for making Ishraque mayor: DSCC workers threaten strike

Nearly half of Dhaka city is likely to see disruptions in garbage collection, mosquito control and even street lamps as five employee unions of Dhaka South City Corporation are set to go on strike unless BNP leader Ishraque Hossain is pronounced mayor by 10:00am today.

The unions, expressing solidarity with Ishraque supporters, issued the ultimatum at Nagar Bhaban yesterday.

"We tell the government: Make arrangements for Ishraque Hossain to assume the mayoral office immediately. Otherwise, we will bring Dhaka to a standstill. You can't even imagine what we are capable of doing," said Arif Chowdhury, president of the DSCC Workers-Employees Union, at a demonstration.

The other associations expressing solidarity with the strike are DSCC Employees' Union, Scavengers and Workers' Union, Transport Drivers and Workers' Union, Electricity Workers' Social Welfare Committee and 4th Class Workers' Social Welfare Committee.

"If our demand is not fulfilled, we will halt all civic services -- from waste collection and cleaning operations to electricity-related services," Arif said.

Ishraque's supporters have been demonstrating in front of Nagar Bhaban since May 14.

At the capital's Khilgaon yesterday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the interim government was using "muscle power" to prevent Ishraque from becoming the mayor.

Rizvi was visiting Rakibul Hasan, an injured activist of the July uprising.

On March 27, Dhaka's First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal Judge Nurul Islam overturned the 2020 DSCC election results and declared Ishraque the rightful winner.

Rizvi said Ishraque had every right to demonstrate for justice.

"In many ways, the current interim government resembles the Hasina regime. This is not what the public wants."

Taking a jab at Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, the adviser for local government, rural development and cooperatives, he said: "He is a young man who suddenly has serious responsibilities for the state. That's why there is an imbalance in his comments."

VERDICT TODAY

The High Court is set to deliver its verdict today on a writ petition that sought a stay on the Election Commission's decision declaring Ishraque the mayor.

The bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury fixed the date after concluding hearings on the petition.

Lawyers Mohammad Hossain and Kazi Akbar Ali represented the petitioner, while AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon argued for Ishraque.

After the lower court overturned the 2020 DSCC election results, the EC issued a gazette notification officially declaring Ishraque the mayor.

On May 14, Mamunur Rashid, a resident of the capital, filed a writ petition challenging the verdict and the EC's gazette notification.

PROTESTS AT NAGAR BHABAN

Ishraque supporters yesterday demonstrated in front of Nagar Bhaban and blocked part of the Gulistan–Bangabazar road, causing traffic disruptions.

The DSCC headquarters has been under lock and key for the past five days. The demonstrators chanted slogans demanding Ishraque's immediate assumption of mayoral duties and the resignation of LGRD Adviser Asif.