FROM PAGE 16

Earlier on April 26, the SCBA held an extraordinary general meeting and decided not to allow pro-AL lawyers to contest the election, citing a ban imposed on the activities of the party and its associated and affiliated organisations on May 11 last year.

Every bar association has its own charter under which it functions and holds polls annually. It informs the Bar Council about its decisions regarding the annual election and also the outcome of the polls.

Moksadul Islam, a senior lawyer at the SC, said the charters of bar associations do not allow partisan politics. Lawyers contest bar polls in individual capacity as they cannot run in elections under any political panels or platforms.

Political dominance in professional bodies like bar associations also goes against the spirit of the country’s constitution, he noted.

Several legal experts and rights activists said the exclusion of pro‑AL lawyers from bar association elections undermines democratic norms and runs counter to the constitutional provisions that guarantee freedom of association.

Some referred to article 38 of the constitution, which states that every citizen has the right to form associations or unions, subject only to reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interests of morality or public order.

Manzill Murshid, a lawyer at the SC, said that not only lawyers aligned with the Awami League, but also those linked to the 14-party alliance and some independent candidates saw their nomination papers cancelled.

“The issue is no longer confined to one political party; it raises broader concerns about the democratic environment within professional bodies,” said Manzill, also a human rights activist.

He emphasised that bar association elections are fundamentally professional in nature, involving practising lawyers as both voters and candidates.

Previous governments faced allegations of exerting pressure and influence in these elections, but candidates aligned with various political parties were at least allowed to contest, he added.

Another SC lawyer, Sara Hossain, said, “The right to contest elections to professional bodies is directly related to the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of association and expression. We have seen how this right has historically been restricted in previous years under different governments through gross politicisation, where lawyers did not stand for election based on their professional reputation or integrity, but simply through political panels.”

She said that during the final years of the AL government, there was direct interference in bar association elections to ensure that AL-backed candidates won. Pro-BNP candidates and voters in the SCBA were threatened, assaulted and even arrested.

“It’s crucial that we don’t repeat these experiences and instead move towards inclusive polls. At the same time, I see that some lawyers contesting now played dubious roles in furthering violations during the past regime, and I think we should be clear about their roles,” she pointed out.

“Rather than barring people from contesting, we should hear about each person’s record and role -- not only during the July [uprising], but also in defending rights at different times -- and then voters can decide.”

Noting that lawyers should prioritise professional values over political identities, SC lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir said, “We all have to strive for professional excellence. A free and fair environment is required for a participatory election.”

When contacted, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said bar elections are an internal matter of the legal community.

“The government has no involvement in this issue,” he told this newspaper on May 4 without elaborating further.

DISTRICT BAR POLLS

Pro-AL lawyers were unable to participate in bar elections in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Shariatpur, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Barishal, Manikganj, Cumilla, Jamalpur, Khulna, Pabna and Gazipur, according to information collected by our correspondents.

In Dhaka bar association polls held on April 29-30, only 7,069 out of 20,785 lawyers (around 34 percent) cast their votes for the 23-member executive committee for 2026-27. Pro-BNP lawyers won all posts.

Pro-AL lawyers boycotted the election, as they were not allowed to collect nomination papers.

Obydul Islam, a pro-AL lawyer, said at least 16 lawyers aligned with the AL wanted to contest the election but none of them was allowed to collect nomination papers.

Another lawyer, Mohammad Liton Miah, who sought to run as an independent candidate for the post of assistant general secretary, also claimed he was denied a nomination form despite fulfilling all requirements.

BNP-backed candidates won 13 of 15 posts in Manikganj Bar Association election on February 26; 20 of 21 posts in Rajshahi Bar Association polls on March 13; and all 14 posts in Khulna Bar Association on March 29 following the exclusion of pro-AL candidates.

Similar situations were reported in several other districts. In Shariatpur, BNP-backed candidates were elected unopposed in 15 posts after AL-backed lawyers were not allowed to submit nomination papers.

The Munshiganj Bar Association polls also saw BNP-backed lawyers elected unopposed in 11 posts following the cancellation of candidacies of pro-AL lawyers.

Pro-AL lawyers were either not allowed to collect nomination papers or saw their candidacies cancelled in Barishal, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, and Gazipur.

In Chattogram, AL-aligned lawyers alleged that pro-BNP lawyers obstructed and assaulted them when they tried to collect and submit nomination papers for 21 posts under the banner of “Sadharan Ainjibi Parishad” for the bar association polls slated for May 21.

Lawyers aligned with the AL in Cumilla said they were able to submit nominations only after intervention by a local lawmaker. They, however, alleged that they faced threats that restricted their campaigning.

WHERE PRO-AL LAWYERS WON

Pro-AL lawyers secured victories in several bar association elections in which they were able to participate as independent candidates.

In Noakhali, lawyers aligned with AL won nine of 15 posts, including that of general secretary; 14 out of 24 posts in Sylhet; seven of 17 posts in Cox’s Bazar; 13 of 15 posts in Madaripur; five of 15 posts in Faridpur; and seven of 13 posts in Pirojpur.

Pro-AL lawyers were also successful in Brahmanbaria Bar Association election, securing seven of 13 posts, including those of president and general secretary.