The High Court has dismissed a writ petition that sought a stay on the Election Commission’s (EC) gazette notification declaring BNP leader Ishraq Hossain as the elected mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
On Thursday, 22 May, the bench comprising Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the order following a hearing. The ruling had been scheduled for this day after hearings concluded on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists, Ishraq’s lawyer, Barrister A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon, stated that the court’s verdict means there is now no legal barrier to administering the oath to Ishraq as mayor of DSCC.
“If the authorities fail to proceed with the oath, it will be considered contempt of court,” he added.
The writ petition had been filed on 13 May by Supreme Court lawyer Md. Mamunur Rashid, challenging the EC’s gazette and the electoral tribunal’s ruling that declared Ishraq as mayor.
The original DSCC election was held on 1 February 2020, in which Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was declared winner, and a gazette confirming the result was published on 2 February. Taposh had been serving as mayor since then.
However, Ishraq Hossain, a member of the BNP’s international affairs committee, filed a legal challenge on 3 March 2020, citing irregularities and corruption in the election.
Following the fall of the Awami League government during the public uprising on 5 August 2024, mayors of various city corporations, including DSCC, were removed from office on 19 August. Subsequently, on 27 March 2025, the electoral tribunal ruled in favor of Ishraq, nullifying Taposh’s election and declaring Ishraq the rightful mayor.
Based on that ruling, the EC issued a gazette on 27 April declaring Ishraq as the new DSCC mayor and sent a letter to the Ministry of Local Government to initiate the oath-taking process. However, no action was taken, prompting widespread protests by Ishraq’s supporters.
