Pro-govt lawyers claim Bangladesh Bar Council election win, official declaration next week

Sammilito Ainjibi Samannay Parishad has claimed to have secured majority in the election to the Bangladesh Bar Council, the licensing and regulatory body of lawyers.

Although, official results are yet to be announced, the pro-Awami League panel of lawyers on Thursday said they had bagged 10 of the 14 posts.

Pro-BNP Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel admitted they did not get majority. 

Votes were held at 77 centres around the country the day before.  

In case the claims turn out to be true, pro-government lawyers would be wresting back the control of the body after three years.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who is designated the chairman of the council, told journalists on Thursday, “We have results from Dhaka, Supreme Court Bar and those close by. They are still sealed.

“We will officially declare the results in front of everyone when we get tallies from other bars by Monday.” 

The Council’s Assistant Director (Administration) Nazmul Ahsan said results from all the centres would be recounted once they came in.

“The chairman will officially declare results after that.”

A total of 43,302 lawyers voted in the polls that saw 61 representatives vie for the 14 posts. In the 2012 polls, pro-BNP lawyers secured nine posts while pro-government lawyers took the remaining five. 

The elected representatives voted the BNP chief’s Adviser Khandker Mahbub Hossain into the council as its vice-chairman. 

Abdul Baset Majumder, leader of the pro-government lawyers’ panel, told journalists, “Bar council is a lawyers’ welfare organisation. But it is regrettable that instead of working for the welfare of lawyers it only served specific agenda of a political party. 

“The lawyers wanted that to change.

“The Sammilito Ainjibi Samannay Parishad secured majority riding on that tide. We got four general posts and six group posts among the 14.”
 
Khandker Mahbub, who led the pro-BNP panel, said, “The results are not out yet. We did not get majority. But that does not mean we have lost. 
 
“It does not mean AJ Mohammad Ali has lost, Mahbub Uddin Khokon has lost. It does not mean democracy has lost.”
 
The BNP leader continued that the government-backed panel promised a lot of welfare activities which ‘raised hopes’ among the lawyers. 
 
“We are hopeful. If they can deliver on the promises then I will be happy.”