Sit-in by Ishraque supporters at Nagar Bhaban enters 15th day

Supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain, along with a large number of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) employees, continued their sit-in protest in front of Nagar Bhaban today, demanding his formal appointment as mayor without further delay.

The demonstration, now in its 15th consecutive day, began around 10:00am with Ishraque's supporters and DSCC Employees Union members gathering at the city corporation headquarters.

The protest has brought public services at Nagar Bhaban to a standstill, causing serious inconvenience to city dwellers.

Throughout the day, the main gates of Nagar Bhaban remained locked, and protesters marched within the compound under the "Dhakabashi" banner.

"We will not leave until the people's mayor, Ishraque Hossain, is handed over charge," Mashiur Rahman, a former secretary and chief coordinator of the protest, told The Daily Star.

He also said that Ishraque is expected to join the protest soon.

Meanwhile, demonstrators blocked the road in front of Nagar Bhaban, forcing the closure of one lane from the Golap Shah Mazar intersection in Gulistan to the Bangabazar intersection.

This led to severe traffic congestion throughout the area.

The crisis began on May 14 when supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain began protesting to demand the announcement of his swearing-in as mayor. They locked the gates of Nagar Bhaban on May 15, shutting down operations. The situation intensified on May 21 when several DSCC employee unions joined the strike.