Dhaka Bar Association, the largest bar association in the country, concluded its election on Thursday with a voter turnout of 34 per cent. Out of 21,731 registered voters, only 7,069 cast their ballots over the two-day polling period.
On Wednesday, the first day of election, 2,759 lawyers voted, followed by 4,310 voters on Thursday.
Following the conclusion of polling, Dhaka Bar Association Chief Election Commissioner Md Borhan Uddin said the election was held after a gap of nearly two years. He described the process as fair and noted that lawyers were able to exercise their franchise comfortably.
Shift in Political Alignment
The election commissioner announced that the counting of votes will commence on Friday following the Jummah prayers. Voter slips will be serialised before counting begins, and the final results are expected to be declared either late Friday night or Saturday morning.
This election is the first to be held since the July 2024 mass uprising and reflects the broader changes in national politics. For the first time, supporters of the Awami League were unable to field a panel. Instead, the primary contest is between supporters of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel (Blue Panel) represents BNP supporters in alliance with the Gono Odhikar Parishad. They are facing off against the Ainjibi Oikya Parishad (Green Panel), which consists of Jamaat-e-Islami supporters in alliance with the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Candidates and controversy
A total of 46 candidates from the two main panels, alongside nine independent candidates, are contesting 23 executive committee positions, including the posts of President and General Secretary.
While the interim government placed restrictions on Awami League activities and its registration was suspended by the Election Commission—preventing it from participating in the national election on 12 February—there are no legal restrictions on its supporters participating in bar elections, which are not officially held on party lines.
However, Awami League followers have alleged that many were unable to contest even as independents because they were not provided with nomination forms.
Boycott and Allegations Lawyer Zakir Hossain, a supporter of the Awami League, labelled the event a “fixed election” and claimed that many lawyers stayed away out of “fear of the mob.”
Another lawyer, Morshed Hossain Shahin, argued that any election excluding Awami League candidates cannot be considered fair or universal. He stated that the group had boycotted the “one-sided” election, asserting that it lacks inclusivity without their participation.
In the previous 2024-25 Dhaka Bar Association election, Awami League-backed candidates won 21 out of 23 posts, including the top two positions. However, following the mass uprising, the winners have been unable to attend court.
In their absence, the BNP-Jamaat alliance candidates who contested the previous election have been managing the association’s affairs.
