Staff correspondent 

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain welcomed the court's decision declaring him the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) but said his oath-taking will depend on his party's decision.

“I have received justice. Whether I will take the oath as mayor or not will be decided by our party, as I was the party's candidate. I will follow the party's directives,” he said.

Speaking to journalists at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office after the verdict, the BNP leader also said justice has been served through the court's verdict. "I respect the court's decision. May the trend of justice continue in the future. Our main goal is to establish justice for all people, regardless of their background," he said.

Earlier in the day, a Dhaka court cancelled the results of the 2020 DSCC election and announced Ishraque Hossain as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). Judge Md Nurul Islam of Dhaka First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal passed the order.

Later, a jubilant procession led by Ishraque was brought to the court premises following the verdict.

Ishraque said the entire nation witnessed how the votes were stolen and the election was manipulated in broad daylight.

“We were assured of credible elections from the very beginning of the campaign. But our campaign faced numerous obstructions. Our posters were torn, microphones were damaged, and I was even attacked during a procession. Many of our leaders and activists were killed or injured. Yet, we received no remedy from the Election Commission,” he said.

On Election Day, the BNP candidate recalled that polling stations did not open until 9:30 AM. "Later, voting took place for just two hours before being closed again. Despite that, the election was rigged throughout the day to inflate the number of votes in favour of my opponent. I filed a case in the tribunal regarding these issues and submitted all the relevant documents. The court announced its verdict today (Thursday)."

In March 2020, Ishraque Hossain, son of the former Mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, contested the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls for the post of mayor as a BNP candidate.

Later, on March 3 of the same year, he filed a case with an election tribunal in Dhaka, demanding the cancellation of the election, claiming that the polls were held amid irregularities and vote rigging and manipulation.