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Sylhet, May 19, 2025: Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of BNP’s National Standing Committee, has issued a stern warning to the interim government, urging it to arrange the oath-taking of Ishraq Hossain as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) by today or tomorrow.
Failure to do so, he cautioned, could lead to a larger movement centered around this issue. He made these remarks during the inauguration of BNP’s membership enrollment and renewal program in Sylhet on Monday.
Salahuddin accused the interim government, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, of disregarding the rule of law, court orders, and the Election Commission’s gazette. “This is a journey against democracy,” he said, adding, “We have always cooperated, but that doesn’t mean we have signed a bond of servitude to follow your every dictate.” Addressing Dr. Yunus, he urged action against advisers plotting to destabilize the country, warning that failure to do so could jeopardize Yunus’s reputation.
He further criticized the interim government for treading an undemocratic path, noting that mentions of elections provoke anger among its members. Salahuddin took aim at an unnamed female adviser who claimed to have been “elected through a mass uprising,” questioning, “If so, why do we have an election system?”
For context, in the DSCC election held on February 1, 2020, Awami League’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas defeated Ishraq Hossain to become mayor. On March 27, 2025, the Dhaka Election Tribunal overturned the result, declaring Ishraq the mayor. The Election Commission published a gazette to this effect on April 27, but Ishraq’s oath-taking is yet to take place. For the past four days, Ishraq’s supporters have been protesting, vowing to continue until he assumes office.
Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan stated that legal and tenure-related complications surrounding Ishraq’s oath remain unresolved, preventing any decision for now.
AI/MR
