For the second consecutive day, demonstrators have taken to the streets demanding that BNP leader Ishraq Hossain be formally appointed as Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The ongoing protest has led to a complete halt in traffic from Gulistan Mazar to the Bongobazar area.
On Thursday morning, protesters gathered outside the DSCC headquarters, Nagar Bhaban in Gulistan, under the banner: "City Hall Blockade by General Voters of Dhaka – Organised by the Citizens." Supporters from various city wards joined the demonstration in separate processions.
Participants in the sit-in claimed that there had been a deliberate delay and manipulation regarding Ishraq's oath-taking. Despite a court verdict and the publication of the Election Commission's gazette, the people's elected mayor, Ishraq, has not been allowed to take office. They stated that their continuous sit-in will persist until Ishraq is formally given his responsibilities through the swearing-in ceremony.
The DSCC election was held on February 1, 2020, in which BNP candidate Ishraq Hossain was defeated by Awami League's Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by nearly 200,000 votes. However, on March 27, 2025, an election tribunal annulled Taposh's victory and declared Ishraq the rightful winner of the 2020 election.
Following the tribunal's decision, the Election Commission received the official court order and, on April 22, sought legal advice from the Ministry of Law regarding the issuance of a new gazette.