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Published : 01 Jul 2026, 02:58 PM
A writ petition has been filed in the High Court challenging the legality of the ad-hoc committee formed to run the Bangladesh Bar Council.
The petition sought an order directing the authorities to hold a Bar Council election within the next 30 days.
Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand lodged the plea on Wednesday, also asking the court to suspend the current committee’s activities until the election is completed.
He named the law secretary and other relevant authorities as respondents.
Before the July Uprising of 2024, the Bar Council had been under the “firm grip” of the then Awami League government.
In the May 2022 election, the Awami League-backed Sammilito Ainjibi Samannay Parishad won 10 of the 14 posts, while then attorney general AM Amin Uddin served as chairman by virtue of office.
After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Aug 5, 2024, Amin stepped down.
On Aug 8, Supreme Court lawyer Md Asaduzzaman, now law minister, was appointed attorney general and became the new Bar Council chairman by default.
In September that year, Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, now the attorney general, joined the enrolment committee for lawyer registration.
After the regular committee’s term ended, the law ministry formed a 14-member ad-hoc committee on May 28, 2025 for one year to prepare for a fresh election, with Asaduzzaman as chairman.
Its legal footing soon came under fire.
On Nov 24 last year, the National Lawyers Alliance (NLA), the lawyers’ wing of the National Citizen Party (NCP), demanded its dissolution at a press briefing on the Supreme Court premises, arguing that the Bar Council law has no clear provision for such a body.
Under that committee, an election for general members was scheduled for May 19.
But at an emergency meeting on Apr 15, it was postponed indefinitely, citing a “severe” nationwide fuel crisis and requests from district bar associations.
Following that suspension, the government on Tuesday formed a new 15-member ad-hoc committee, with Attorney General Ruhul Quddus as chairman.
According to the gazette, the committee’s tenure will run for one year from Jul 1.
Other members include Supreme Court lawyers Zainul Abedin, Badruddoza Badal, Masud Ahmed Talukdar, Jasim Uddin Sarker, AHM Mushfiqur Rahman Tuhin, Raghib Rauf Chowdhury, Nasir Uddin Ashim, Sarker Tahmina Begum Sandhya, Md Hossain Lipu and Mohammad Shishir Manir.
It also includes district bar representatives Nazim Uddin Chowdhury from Chattogram, Ali Asgar from Bogura, Sayed Nazrul Islam from Dhaka, and Mahfuzur Rahman Milon from the Supreme Court.
