Nagar Bhaban locked for 13 Days: When will the suffering end?

For the past 13 days, most civic services under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have been suspended due to a strike led jointly by supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain and city corporation workers' unions.

As a result, all DSCC services – including official work, birth and death registrations, citizenship certificates, inheritance documentation, and land transfer procedures – have come to a standstill. 

Only waste management and mosquito control operations continue, but these too are hampered by irregular insecticide supplies.

Yesterday, supporters of Ishraque and Dhaka South employees resumed their protest and sit-in after a 48-hour pause, demanding Ishraque's immediate swearing-in as mayor.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Dhaka South Chief Executive Officer Md Zillur Rahman said, "No work has been possible at Nagar Bhaban over the past 13 days. We are trying to carry out some official tasks partially. Urgent matters – those with fixed deadlines or related to tenders – are being handled from the Secretariat. But as urgent work piles up, the suffering grows not only for citizens but also for us."

Revenue collection, Eid prep disrupted 

May and June are crucial months for DSCC's annual revenue collection, typically accounting for over one-third of the year's earnings. However, the strike has brought revenue operations to a complete halt.

The city corporation also usually begins major preparations ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, including leasing cattle markets and planning waste management, but none of these activities have progressed this year.

Deputy Chief Revenue Officer of the city corporation Shahjahan Ali told TBS, "Offices will remain closed until 14 June for Eid. This was a critical window for revenue collection, but we have been unable to operate. Most of our yearly revenue is generated during this period and in August. 

"We had already started aggressive campaigns, but last year's student protests slowed revenue collection. Just when things started to improve, this deadlock began."

Eid waste management faces setbacks

DSCC's Chief Waste Management Officer Air Commodore Md Mahabubur Rahman Talukder said, "Our biggest challenge now is managing waste during Eid-ul-Azha. We have not been able to complete tenders for cattle markets or hold pre-Eid preparatory meetings." 

He added, "Essential tasks like repairing garbage trucks and purchasing supplies such as bleaching powder have stalled. If this continues, managing sacrificial waste during Eid will be a serious challenge."

Dr Nishat Parveen, DSCC's chief health officer, added, "We usually provide insecticides weekly, but the Nagar Bhaban closure has severely affected mosquito control. Workers have been instructed to ration the limited stock."

The dispute dates back to the 1 February 2020 Dhaka South election, where Awami League's Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was declared winner amid allegations of irregularities. 

Ishraque challenged the result, and on 27 March 2025, the election tribunal nullified Taposh's victory and declared Ishraque mayor. The EC confirmed this by publishing a gazette on 27 April.