Ishraque Hossain, who has announced his resignation as state minister for Liberation War affairs, has said he is fully prepared to contest a mayoral election if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party decides to nominate him.
The Dhaka-6 MP faced questions about whether he would now seek the city mayor's post after announcing his resignation amid controversy over his participation in an “anti-drug” drive while carrying a firearm.
Ishraque announced his decision to step down at a press conference at the National Press Club on Monday afternoon, accompanied by several hundred party activists.
He said he had decided to resign to prevent the controversy over the armed anti-drug drive from embarrassing his party.
However, he maintained that his “war” against drugs would continue.
Asked by a journalist whether he was now considering running for mayor, Ishraque did not give a direct answer.
He said the decision rested entirely with the BNP and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
“Regarding the mayoral election, I have said that this falls entirely to the authority of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and will be decided solely by him,” Ishraque said.
He noted that he had contested the election in 2020 and had experience of the electoral process, adding that he had also worked for years on urban problems under the instruction of his party.
Ishraque is the elder son of Sadeque Hossain Khoka, the last mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation.
In the Dhaka South City Corporation election held on Feb 1, 2020, Ishraque, a member of the BNP's international affairs committee, lost to Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh by a margin of nearly 175,000 votes.
Following the changeover of power, an electoral tribunal in Dhaka overturned the result on Mar 27 this year and declared Ishraque the mayor, replacing Taposh.
The Election Commission subsequently published a gazette on Apr 27 declaring Ishraque the DSCC mayor.
However, on May 14, Mohammad Mamunur Rashid, a DSCC resident and Supreme Court lawyer, filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking to prevent Ishraque from being sworn in.
Ishraque's supporters began demonstrations the same day, demanding that he be sworn in. Their protests effectively paralysed the Nagar Bhaban, the city corporation headquarters.
The Ministry of Local Government refrained from arranging the swearing-in, citing legal complications. At the time, the ministry's advisor was Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, who is now the spokesperson for the National Citizen Party.
The NCP has since announced Asif Mahmud as its candidate for the Dhaka South mayoral post.
At Monday's news conference, Ishraque reiterated that he was fully prepared to contest the election if his party considered it necessary.
He also said he would wholeheartedly support another BNP nominee if the party chose someone else.
“We are not limited to seasonal programmes. There are structural problems, a lack of central planning and coordination among the many agencies, along with various other challenges,” he said, describing the urban issues he had worked on for years.
“I have been working on these issues for a long time. That is why I have said I am fully prepared. If the party considers it necessary for me to contest the election in the party's interest, I am 100 percent ready.
“I also want to say that if the party nominates anyone else, I am 100 percent ready to help my party's candidate win.”
Ishraque represents the Sutrapur, Wari, Gendaria and part of Kotwali police station areas in Dhaka-6.