BNP’s Ishraque calls on advisers Asif Mahmud, Mahfuj Alam to resign

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has called on two advisers of the interim government -- Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and Mahfuj Alam -- to resign from their positions.

He made the demand in a post on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday.

His supporters have been holding a sit-in demonstration in front of the Nagar Bhaban for the past week, demanding that he be sworn in as mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The protests have practically brought all official work at DSCC headquarters to a halt.

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, which recently shifted to the Nagar Bhaban after a fire at the Secretariat, is also closed. Adviser Asif Mahmud is the head of that ministry.

In a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday morning, Ishraque said that “in democratic language, following political etiquette”, he is calling on advisers Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj to resign from all responsibilities of the interim government due to “reasonable objections”.

“It is evident that you are associated with a political party, and you may be directly involved in it in the future. And it is also quite clear that you will contest elections. So is the demand for your resignations unreasonable? Or will it be the proper step and clear up the political debate about you?”

Citing the example of former adviser Nahid Alam, who stepped down from office to take on a leadership role in the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), Ishraque said that Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj can also follow in his footsteps.

"If he [Nahid Islam] wanted, he could have served as a minister for a few more days and then joined the NCP. There was a time when Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah could also have been appointed to ministries had they raised strong enough demands. But they did not choose that course of action because they wanted to enter politics. Maybe one day, if they are elected by the people and form a government, they will be granted the full responsibilities, powers and respect of a minister."

Ishraque said that if these two advisers resign, it will strengthen the image of impartiality for the interim government. He said he believes that the two student movement leaders can do more for the country and its people if they gain the experience of directly joining politics and engaging in party and organisational work.

"And if you retain power, you will have to give special benefits to the people of your party. There is no possibility of refraining from this or remaining 100 per cent neutral on the matter. No one has that ability."

Ishraque, who has already been declared mayor of Dhaka South by the Election Commission, acknowledged that people were suffering due to the ongoing movement to put him in office, but he claimed there was no rational objection to it.

“Now you will surely say or think that I am portraying myself as a saint and criticising you while creating public suffering by giving moral support to a movement day after day in order to become an illegal mayor out of greed for power. Have I faced any less criticism for this? But I had no other choice. It is necessary for the country to explain to the people that you are being led down the wrong path. And until today, the work of blocking me has been done through a joint decision. People with the minimal political sense already understand this. But I will say that this was their wrong policy. Asif Bhuyain, you were used by them. If one cannot accept the law and the court’s decisions, where will the country's reforms begin? You could have criticised me as much as you want when you saw what I actually did. But now I have to pursue the full process.”

Stating that there is no chance of withdrawing this demand for resignations, Ishraque said: "The previous arrangement is being followed. It would not be wrong to say that it is being further strengthened… Why do you want to stay?"