High Court on Thursday (May 22) dismissed a writ petition challenging the validity of a government gazette that declared Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

The court also rejected a plea that sought to block his oath-taking ceremony, clearing the final legal hurdle for the BNP politician to formally assume office.

A bench comprising Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury delivered the verdict, ruling that the Election Commission's gazette notification stands valid. 

“There is now no legal bar to Ishraque Hossain taking the oath,” his lawyer told reporters following the ruling.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of BNP activists and leaders staged a sit-in protest in front of the Kakrail Mosque in Dhaka, marking the eighth consecutive day of demonstrations. 

Despite heavy rain and stormy weather overnight, protesters stayed at the site, chanting slogans and waving party flags.

The demonstrators called for the immediate implementation of the Election Commission’s gazette and pressed for Ishraq’s formal induction as mayor.

Security has been stepped up in parts of the capital, especially around the High Court, Kakrail, and nearby Jamuna areas. Police, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and military personnel were seen deployed, with armoured vehicles stationed near the court premises.

The High Court had been scheduled to deliver its order on the writ petition on Wednesday, prompting BNP activists to begin gathering from the previous afternoon. 

They remained at the protest site overnight in anticipation of Thursday’s verdict.

Ishraque Hossain, the son of late BNP leader and former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, has been a prominent face among the younger generation of the party. 

SMS/