BNP's Ishraque urges advisers Asif Mahmud, Mahfuj Alam to resign from interim govt

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has called on interim government advisers Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan and Mahfuj Alam to step down from all their responsibilities.

In a Facebook post from his verified account today (21 May) morning, Ishraque wrote, "In the spirit of democratic values and political decorum, I urge advisers Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj Alam to resign from all responsibilities of the interim government on justifiable grounds."

"It appears that you are already associated with political parties and may soon be formally involved. It also seems likely that you plan to contest in upcoming elections. So, is it unreasonable to ask for your resignation? Or wouldn't stepping down be the right move to end political controversy surrounding your roles?" the post reads.

He continued, "You should follow the example set by Nahid Islam. He could have continued as a minister for a few more days before joining the NCP, but he chose to resign instead. There was a time when leaders like Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah were urged to take ministerial posts, but they declined, choosing instead to pursue politics independently."

Commenting on the standoff over his assumption of office as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, the BNP leader wrote, "Anyone with the slightest political awareness can see that the effort to block me has been a joint decision from the beginning. But I would say it was a flawed policy – and you, Asif Bhuiyan, ended up being the one used in the process."

Supporters of Ishraque have been protesting for days, demanding his oath-taking as the mayor of Dhaka South. They have warned of a shutdown of the capital if the interim government fails to comply.

Meanwhile, five employee unions of Dhaka South have also threatened to suspend all civic services, including waste management, if Ishraque is not allowed to assume office.