Services of the Dhaka South City Corporation remained halted for the third working day on Sunday as supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Ishraque Hossain locked the gates of its headquarters, Nagar Bhaban, demanding his swearing-in as the South city mayor.
Many city dwellers who came to Nagar Bhaban to avail essential services, including birth and death certificates and trade licences, had to return due to the ongoing protest.
Meanwhile, Mashiur Rahman, on behalf of the protesters, announced around 1:20pm on Sunday that their programme would continue from 11:00am to 3:00pm on Monday as well.
Md Liton, a resident of Lalbagh who came to Nagar Bhaban on Sunday to make payment for his trade licence, said that the deadline for the licence renewal is May 20.
‘If I cannot pay within the deadline, my licence will be cancelled,’ he said, adding that the DSCC zone office in Azimpur was also closed.
Earlier, on March 27, Dhaka’s First Joint District and Election Tribunal judge, Md Nurul Islam, declared Ishraq Hossain as the rightful mayor, annulling the results of the 2020 Dhaka South City Corporation elections that had declared Fazle Noor Taposh as the winner.
Later on April 27, the EC issued a gazette notification declaring him as the mayor of DSCC.