Ishraque supporters block Nagar Bhaban road as protests continue

Supporters of Ishraque Hossain have blocked the road in front of Nagar Bhaban as they continued their protest to push for the BNP leader's swearing-in as mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

The demonstration began shortly after 11:30am on Tuesday as protesters gathered at the main gate of the DSCC headquarters and resumed their sit-in.

This marks the 14th day of a movement that began on May 14 under the banner of "Dhakabashi" (residents of Dhaka). Organised by city corporation employees and BNP activists, the protests had briefly paused for 48 hours before resuming on Saturday.

The blockade in front of Nagar Bhaban has severely disrupted traffic. By midday, long queues of vehicles were seen on the road from High Court intersection towards Gulistan.

One frustrated commuter, Razzab Ali from Azimpur, expressed his dismay after arriving at the city corporation to obtain a trade licence, only to find all operations suspended.

“It took me a long time just to get here. After reaching Dhaka Medical [College Hospital], I couldn’t go any further by rickshaw and had to walk to Nagar Bhaban. Once I got here, everything was locked due to the protest. Why should we suffer like this? We don’t need to know who the mayor is—just keep citizen services open,” he said.

Protester Zafar Ahmed said, “Despite two court rulings in Ishraque’s favour, his oath is being delayed by the deliberate actions and bureaucratic stalling of Local Government Division Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain. We won’t budge until the mayor takes office. We won’t vacate the road.”

On Thursday, Ishraque had suspended the protest for 48 hours to allow the government to make preparations for his oath after a writ petition seeking to block his swearing-in was dismissed. Prior to the pause in protests, BNP activists held demonstrations at Matsya Bhaban, Kakrail, and surrounding areas.

But as no steps were taken to swear him in, the protests resumed at Nagar Bhaban on Saturday, with many DSCC employees and officials joining in solidarity.

By 12:30pm on Tuesday, small processions from different areas under DSCC's jurisdiction began arriving at Nagar Bhaban, chanting slogans demanding that Ishraque be sworn in immediately as Dhaka South mayor.

Meanwhile, all entry gates to Nagar Bhaban remained padlocked, halting administrative work completely. Since May 15, all public services, including birth and death registrations, issuance of trade licences, and holding tax processing, have been suspended. Even city officials are unable to access their offices.