Ishraque halts protest, issues 48-hour ultimatum

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has announced a temporary suspension of the ongoing sit-in protest at Kakrail intersection, demanding the resignation of Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud and Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam.

He issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the government to meet their demands.

"We have received our desired verdict from the court, but if there's any delay or manipulation, we will return to the streets," Ishraque said, referring to the High Court verdict that cleared the way for him to be sworn in as Dhaka South City Corporation mayor by May 26.

Ishraque apologised for public inconvenience caused by the protest but defended the movement, calling it a fight for justice.

In a Facebook post, he reaffirmed that protests would continue until both advisers resign.

In 2020, Ishraque lost the mayoral race to Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by nearly 200,000 votes.

However, the Election Tribunal overturned the result on March 27, declaring Ishraque the rightful winner.

The Election Commission formally declared him mayor on April 27.