Is fair election possible under current advisory council? Ishraq questions

As the court has ruled that Ishraq Hossain is the rightful Mayor of Dhaka South having won the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) elections in 2020, Ishraq claims that anyone criticizing this decision is disrespecting the court.

He made this comment during a press conference at the National Press Club on Saturday. Ishraq said he filed the case within 30 days of the 2020 election.

He said that his opponent, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, tried to stop the case using political influence, and that the court was under the Awami League's control at that time. Still, he said, he followed all legal steps and finally won the case. Ishraq also said that the government published the official gazette without getting the legal adviser's full opinion. But according to the rules, the gazette was released within 10 working days.
He pointed out that even though 20 days have passed since the gazette was published on April 27, he still hasn't taken the oath of office. "We are fully ready to take the oath," he said.

Criticizing the interim government, Ishraq said people are unsure whether fair elections are possible under the current advisory council. He accused the National Coordination Platform (NCP) of interfering in the work of judges and trying to control the administration for their own benefit.

Speaking about protests, Ishraq said he did not call for any movement himself, but he supports the people's right to protest. "Those who are stopping these protests are helping fascism," he said.

On Saturday around noon, during a sit-in in front of DSCC's Nagar Bhaban (city building), his supporters declared Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan as 'unwanted' there. Asif has not gone to the office because of the protests.

Although the Election Commission officially named Ishraq as the mayor through a gazette on April 27, the Local Government Ministry has not yet arranged for his oath-taking. In response, Ishraq's supporters are continuing protests, demanding that he be officially given his mayoral duties.