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The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) employees' unions are holding a protest at the Nagar Bhaban to demand that BNP leader Ishraque Hossain be sworn in as mayor.
Sunday marks the 12th consecutive day of protests and has resulted in the 10th day of a complete shutdown of work at the DSCC offices, reports bdnews24.com.
Workers and employees began gathering at the Nagar Bhaban around 10:00 am. They chanted slogans in support of Ishraque, saying that Nagar Bhaban would not function until he was declared the mayor.
A protester named Munir Hossain said, “We want Ishraque Hossain’s oath-taking ceremony to be held and for him to be handed over the responsibilities of mayor. We will return home once Ishraque is in the mayor’s office. The protests will continue until then.”
Asked about the city residents being deprived of service by the protest, a protester named Abdul Qayyum said: “People are not suffering because of our protests. There are people who are not fulfilling their duties according to the rules, who are not allowing Ishraque Hossain to take his oath. This protest is because of them. They are the ones responsible.”
A DSCC employee named Afroza Haque said, “The court’s decision must be implemented. We want him as the mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation. And it is not just us. It is what all of the people of Dhaka want. We will return to work when the government administers his oath.”
The main gate and other gates to the ground floor of the Nagar Bhaban were locked on Sunday. Some people were allowed to enter through the “pocket gate” next to them, but those seeking government services were turned away.
The Nagar Bhaban houses the DSCC Area-1 and Area-4 offices. The protest programme has blocked these two offices, suspending work there.
Salah Uddin, who came from Dhaka’s Wari to the offices on Sunday, said “I needed to make a correction to my daughter’s birth registration. I have been coming here for the past few days. The offices aren’t open. I can’t get the work done.”