Ishraque announces halt to protest, issues 48hr ultimatum demanding resignation of advisers Asif, Mahfuj
"We have received our desired verdict from the court. However, if there is any delay or manipulation regarding the verdict, we will take to the streets again tomorrow," he said, referring to a High Court judgement that cleared the way for him to be sworn in as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation by 26 May.
BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has announced a halt to the ongoing protest demanding the resignation of Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud and Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam, and issued a 48-hour ultimatum to implement the demands.
The BNP leader made the announcement from the Kakrail intersection, where his supporters have been staging a sit-in since yesterday.
"Today, the victory of the rule of law has been achieved through the court's verdict. Therefore, the movement is temporarily suspended. If the court's verdict is not implemented immediately, we will once again lay siege to [chief adviser's residence] Jamuna," he said, referring to a High Court judgement that cleared the way for him to be sworn in as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation by 26 May.
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"Yesterday, we demanded the resignation of the two 'student advisers' of the interim government, and we will remain firm in that demand. We will observe the government for 24 to 48 hours. If the two student advisers do not resign within this period, we will take to the streets again," he added.
The protesters left the Kakrail intersection and adjacent areas immediately after Ishraque's announcement, with traffic movement on major roads returning to normal at around 4:45pm. Dhaka traffic came to a standstill as pro-BNP protesters took control of the city's major intersections, including Shahbag, Hotel InterContinental, Kakrail, Matsya Bhaban and other places. Apart from Ishraque supporters, activists of Chhatra Dal blocked the Shahbag and InterContinental intersections demanding justice over the killing of DU Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Shammo.
Apologising for the suffering caused by the movement, Ishraque said, "We apologise for the suffering caused by our programs. But one day, the people will understand why we did this movement. Our war is not over yet."
"Today's victory is entirely credited to the grassroots activists of BNP and the people of Dhaka. The people of Dhaka have claimed their rights. Today, I am not the only one who has become mayor—you [protesters] all have become mayors. This victory belongs to all of you."
The announcement comes shortly after the BNP leader urged his supporters to remain on the streets and reject what he described as "carrot tactics" aimed at defusing their movement.
In a Facebook post, he insisted that protests must continue until the two student representative advisers resign from the advisory panel of the interim government.
Supporters of Ishraque have been staging sit-in protests demanding the immediate swearing-in of the BNP leader as the mayor of Dhaka South for over a week, blocking the Dhaka South Nagar Bhaban, which effectively led to a halt in all civic services under the city corporation. Today, the sit-in took place at Matsya Bhaban and Kakrail intersections from 10am onwards. Despite the High Court ruling in their favour and paving the way for Ishraque's mayoral oath-taking, the protesters vowed to continue their movement demanding the resignation of the two advisers.
Over the week since it started, the goal of the protest has changed drastically, with Ishraque yesterday announcing that the movement will not end till the government announces a clear election roadmap. He also said the movement will continue till advisers Mahfuj and Asif Mahmud resign, alleging that the two advisers are biased in favour of the National Citizen Party (NCP).
In the 1 February 2020 Dhaka South election, Awami League's Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh defeated BNP's Ishraque Hossain by a margin of nearly 200,000 votes. However, on 27 March this year, Election Tribunal Judge Md Nurul Islam annulled the previous result and declared Ishraque the rightful mayor.
Following the court ruling, the Election Commission sought legal advice from the law ministry on 22 April regarding the publication of a gazette notification.
On 27 April, the EC officially declared Ishraque as the new mayor. BNP leaders say they have taken to the streets to ensure the implementation of this declaration.
