BNP leader Ishraque Hossain has urged his supporters to maintain decency and avoid disrespecting political opponents, even as protests demanding his swearing-in as Dhaka South City mayor entered their seventh day on Tuesday.
Despite a High Court verdict in Ishraque's favour, residents of Dhaka South City, under the banner of “Dhakabashis,” have continued their sit-in protest in front of Nagar Bhaban since 10am, reports Bangla Tribune.
A visit to the Nagar Bhaban area in the morning revealed that processions from various parts of Dhaka had started gathering in front of the building since early in the day.
The protesters then occupied the stretch from Golap Shah Mazar in Gulistan to Banga Market.
The demonstrators said that the interim government is deliberately delaying the swearing-in of Ishraque Hossain, thereby defying the court's ruling.
They vowed to continue their protest until Ishraque is sworn in as mayor. They also warned of launching a mass hunger strike if their demands are not met.
On Monday, the protesters burned an effigy of Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud, whom they hold responsible for the crisis, and threw shoes at his portrait.
In response to the situation, Ishraque made a post on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, addressing a special appeal to the protesters.
He said: "I sincerely urge the people and voters of Dhaka South City who are protesting, no matter how much anger or frustration you may feel, to completely refrain from doing anything that could disrespect leaders of any political party other than the fascist Hasina regime and its allies.
"We must engage in criticism, raise awareness through political discourse, and point out their wrongdoings, but we must always maintain linguistic and behavioral decency."
Ishraque further said: "We’ve seen enough in the past, we don’t want to take the country backward. Of course, we will face our political opponents head-on and thwart every conspiracy against the nation. We will take action to restore our voting rights through a clear electoral roadmap.
"We will also wage strong democratic movements demanding the resignation of the current controversial advisers. But our language and behavior must be such that even our enemies find no grounds for criticism."
