Would have taken mayor’s chair if oath wasn’t legally required: Ishraque

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain says he would have assumed the Dhaka South City Corporation mayor’s office by now if the law did not require an oath-taking ceremony.

Speaking at Nagar Bhaban on tuesday (17 June), Ishraque stated, “According to the Local Government Act, I cannot perform mayoral duties until I take the oath. If oath-taking were not mandatory, I would have started my work already.”

He recalled that after two days of street protests demanding justice, his party decided to suspend the movement to ease public suffering. “The government deceived us then and continues to do so,” he added.

Ishraque also urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan’s recent activities. “The advisers are responsible for the current deadlock. The chief adviser should intervene and resolve this,” he said.

Since 14 May, Ishraque’s supporters have staged a sit-in at Nagar Bhaban, blocking entry until Ishraque is formally sworn in.

In a written statement, Ishraque outlined the legal background: the Electoral Tribunal annulled the 1 February 2020 mayoral election results and directed the Election Commission to publish a gazette declaring him mayor. The EC complied on 27 April, but the Local Government Division has delayed the oath-taking, citing legal uncertainties and potential appeals.

He criticized Adviser Asif’s claim that the gazette’s validity expired, warning this could prevent future elected representatives from taking oath if legal challenges delay ceremonies.

Ishraque accused the adviser of seeking political and financial gain by appointing an administrator instead of allowing a duly elected mayor to take office.

The dispute began with allegations of irregularities in the February 2020 election, where Awami League’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was initially declared winner. Ishraque challenged the results, and the tribunal ruled in his favor in March 2025.

A writ petition filed in May by a Supreme Court lawyer blocked the oath-taking, leading to a postponement by the Local Government Ministry. The Appellate Division has since ruled that the Election Commission has the final say on the swearing-in.