The High Court has declared illegal the Bangladesh Bar Council’s decision to cancel the review results of the written examination for lawyer enrolment published on 18 November last year.
The court also directed that apprentice lawyers who passed the first review but were excluded from the second review be allowed to participate directly in the viva voce for enrolment, paving the way for over 1,300 candidates to sit for the oral examination.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Khijir Ahmed Chowdhury and Justice Zahirul Haque delivered the verdict on Wednesday, declaring the rule issued in this regard absolute. Petitioners’ lawyer Barrister M Ashraful Islam confirmed the matter to the TIMES.
In the written results published on October 25, 2025, a total of 7,917 examinees passed. Many of those who failed claimed they had performed well enough to pass. In response, the Bar Council issued a notification on 26 October calling for review applications.
Following prescribed procedures, the Bar Council and Enrolment Committee unanimously published review results on 18 November, declaring 1,914 apprentice lawyers as passed in the written examination, thereby qualifying them for the viva voce.
However, just days later, following objections from a handful of individuals, the Bar Council issued another notification on 23 November cancelling the entire review results and ordering a fresh evaluation.
After re-evaluation, the Bar Council published new review results on 5 March this year, showing 1,550 as passed — meaning 1,294 of the 1,914 who had passed the first review were excluded. Additionally, over 900 examinees who had scored 46 or fewer marks were shown as passed in the new result.
A writ petition challenged the cancellation decision. On 24 November 2025, the High Court issued a rule asking why the Bar Council’s decision to cancel the review results should not be declared illegal.
On 12 March, the High Court issued the rule. Barrister M Ashraful Islam, along with lawyers Foishal Mahmud Foysal, Badruddoza Badal, and Syed Mamun Mahbub, represented the apprentice lawyers in court.
