Mayoral oath: Ishraque now says protest to continue till Adviser Asif Mahmud resigns
“We demand his immediate resignation. Even if we get the court's verdict in our favour, it will be a victory for the rule of law, nothing more. We are not leaving the blockade without Asif's resignation."
BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has warned that the ongoing protest over his mayoral oath-taking will not end until Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud resigns, even if the High Court rules in favour of the BNP leader tomorrow.
His latest announcement comes just hours after he declared that the protest's main goal had changed from demanding his swearing-in as the Dhaka North City Corporation mayor to the announcement of a clear election roadmap.
Speaking to reporters at around 10pm at Kakrail intersection, a key spot occupied by Ishraque supporters, the BNP leader said, "I did not come here to become mayor or for personal power. Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan is working for a specific party, he interfered in the Election Commission and the court. He has lost his impartiality.
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"We demand his immediate resignation. Even if we get the court's verdict in our favour, it will be a victory for the rule of law, nothing more. We are not leaving the blockade without Asif's resignation."
The High Court is set to deliver an order on a writ petition that is seeking suspension of the Election Commission (EC) gazette notification that declared Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.
The hearing was scheduled for today, but the bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury later declared the postponement around 1:15pm.
The hearing on the petition began yesterday (20 May) at 1pm and was adjourned at around 2pm. Later, the hearing resumed from 4:10pm and set today for delivering the order om the matter.
