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Published : 17 Jun 2025, 02:17 PM
BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has demanded the resignation of Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and urged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate him.
At a press conference held at the Nagar Bhaban on Tuesday, Ishraque said that Advisor Asif Mahmud had presented untrue and misleading information to the media.
"Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has lost the moral right to be a local government advisor. He has broken his oath. We are demanding his resignation for breaking his oath."
In a press release sent to the media on Monday, Advisor Asif Mahmud said that the Local Government Department did not break any law in the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayoral issue. Since the issue was pending when the term of the gazette and later the term of the city corporation expired, there was no legal opportunity for the Local Government Department to administer the oath.
On Tuesday, Ishraque, who has been holding various programmes for more than a month demanding that he be sworn in as mayor, bashed the decision.
He said that various questions had been raised to prevent the swearing-in ceremony from being held and if the advisor's words are true, many elected public representatives will not be able to take their oaths in the future.
"That is, if a gazette is published in the name of the winning candidate, the defeated candidate or any citizen will be incited by people like Shojib Bhuyain to file a writ case in the High Court to prevent them from taking the oath. And if that writ case is pending, no public representative will get the opportunity to take the oath in the future after the 30-day period mentioned in the gazette expires."
The BNP leader claims that the local government advisor is trying to gain unfair political and financial benefits by appointing someone of his choice as the administrator of the DSCC.
Ishraque said the public wants to know why the local government advisor created this deadlock.
“I want to call on the Anti-Corruption Commission to come here. Investigate what corruption Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has committed while in office and take action against him. He led a bloody mass uprising, and in return he got the post of advisor. How did they become involved in so much corruption in such a short time?”
The BNP leader said that their movement went beyond the Secretariat and had reached the State Guest House Jamuna, the official residence of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. Later, he received a message from the government that the issue would be resolved. Then, in consideration of the suffering of the people, Ishraque said he withdrew from the protests. But if the issue is not resolved, the movement will take to the streets again.
“If you assume that you can ignore this movement, then keep in mind that this movement will leave Nagar Bhaban and take to the streets again. You should resolve the issue, give peace to people, and you too should be at peace. The current interim government and its advisors are responsible for today’s situation. The chief advisor cannot ignore this. I want to tell him to bring the issue to your attention. Find a reasonable solution and free the people of Dhaka.”
The most recent DSCC election was held on Feb 1, 2020.
Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh defeated BNP’s Ishraque, son of former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, by nearly 200,000 votes in the polls.
Following the change in government, the Dhaka Election Tribunal on Mar 27 annulled the 2020 results and declared Ishraque the rightful mayor.
The EC subsequently published a gazette notification on Apr 27, formally recognising him as DSCC mayor.
However, on May 14, a resident of Dhaka South and Supreme Court lawyer Md Mamunur Rashid filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking to halt Ishraque’s swearing-in.
In response, Ishraque’s supporters began protesting the same day, demanding that he be sworn in. Their demonstrations brought administrative operations at Nagar Bhaban to a virtual standstill.
Citing legal complexities, the Local Government Division held back on arranging the swearing-in until the matter was resolved in the judiciary.
Subsequently, the Appellate Division turned the matter over to the Election Commission, saying it was for them to decide. Ishraque has interpreted the decision as clearing the way for his swearing-in.
Since then, work at the Nagar Bhaban has largely come to a standstill due to protests.
