DSCC Services Still Halted Despite Protest Pause Announcement
Although an earlier announcement signaled a temporary pause in the ongoing demonstration at Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), the headquarters at Nagar Bhaban remained inaccessible on Wednesday, frustrating both citizens and staff.
Despite hopes for a return to normal operations, the main gate stayed locked, forcing residents seeking municipal services to return without assistance, and resulting in minimal staff attendance on what was the final working day for government offices before Eid.
The protest, led by supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain, has been ongoing since May 14. The demonstrators are demanding that Ishraque be sworn in as the mayor of DSCC. One day into the protest, a large number of DSCC employees joined the movement, effectively shutting down services by locking all entry points to Nagar Bhaban.
Earlier this week, Ishraque Hossain announced a temporary suspension of the programme to ease public suffering ahead of the Eid holidays. “With Eid approaching, we’ve decided to temporarily ease the siege to reduce public inconvenience,” he stated on Tuesday.
The announcement led many to believe that DSCC services would resume the following day. However, the doors to Nagar Bhaban remained firmly shut on Wednesday, extending the disruption of public services to a 22nd consecutive day.
This prolonged closure has interrupted a wide range of civic services, including birth and death registrations, trade licence issuance and renewal, holding tax payments, and the provision of heir certificates.
Ashraful Alam, a resident of Ray Shaheb Bazar, visited Nagar Bhaban around noon in an attempt to correct his daughter’s birth record. "This was my third visit. It’s unfair to keep public services hostage like this. The general public is suffering needlessly," he said, visibly frustrated.
Several DSCC officials also attempted to report to work but found themselves locked out. One deputy divisional officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "We were informed on Tuesday that the office would reopen. But when I arrived, the gates were still locked. Senior officials, including the CEO and administrator, were absent, so I had no choice but to leave."
Another senior engineer echoed the sentiment, stating he was informed by colleagues en route that Nagar Bhaban was still closed and later confirmed it through internal contacts.
With Eid only days away, the uncertainty surrounding the restoration of DSCC operations continues to inconvenience residents across the city.
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