BNP-Jamaat-backed lawyers sweep Dhaka Bar Association elections

Pro-government lawyers have suffered defeat in the election to the most important district legal community, the Dhaka Bar Association.

The Blue panel, backed by the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami coalition, has won most of the posts, including those of the president and the general secretary.

Of the 10 posts of office bearers, Awami League-backed White panel won only the posts of the senior vice president and treasurer.

BNP central committee’s Religious Affairs Secretary Masud Ahmed Talukder has been elected the president, bagging 4,562 votes.

Omar Faruq Faruquee of the Blue panel has been elected general secretary. He got 4,643 votes.

White panel’s Saidur Rahman got 230 votes less than Masud while Ayubur Rahman got 586 votes less than Omar Faruq.

Of the 15 posts of executive members, BNP-Jamaat-backed lawyers won 12. The Awami League-backed lawyers won the rest.

The BNP-Jamaat-backed Blue panel in all got 20 of the 25 posts. The rest went to the Awami League-backed White panel.

Chief Election Commissioner SM Altaf Hossain announced the results in the early hours on Saturday.

The voting was held throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

The number of voters was 15,372. Of them, 9,092 balloted.

Blue panel’s Harun Rashid Khan has been elected vice president, Hafizur Rahman Hafiz senior assistant general secretary, Taherul Islam Tauhid assistant general secretary, Majedur Rahman Mamun library secretary, Aklima Akter Alo cultural secretary and Sheikh Alauddin has been elected office secretary.

White panel’s Mosharraf Hossain and Makbul Hossain have been elected senior vice president and treasurer respectively.

Those who have been elected members from the Blue panel are Mohammad Abdul Hannan Khandker, Mohammad Billal Hossain, Majibar Rahman, Fatima Yasmin, Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Shahnaz Parvin Zotsna, Mostofa Kamal Khan, Shah Alam, Mohammad Abul Kashem, Mohammad Kamal Hossain, Shafikul Islam and Rehana Parvin.

From the White panel, Tapo Gopal Ghosh, Fatema Tuz Zohura Moni and Lilia Akter Lily have been elected as members of the association.

A total of 61 lawyers vied for the 25 posts. None from the Green panel has won a post.

The BNP-backed lawyers won 19 of the 25 posts in the last year’s election.

Lawyer Aminul Gani Tito said the national politics and the pro-government lawyers’ “excessive self-confidence and conceit” led to their defeat.

Belal Hossain Jasim said, “I knew beforehand that they won’t be able to win. Dhaka Bar Association always votes against the government. There has been no difference this time too.”