The first election of the Dhaka Bar Association since the July 2024 mass uprising opened to a muted start on Wednesday, as a combination of persistent rain and a significant political vacuum resulted in a voter turnout of just 12.69 percent.
With the once-dominant Awami League supporters absent from the ballot – amid allegations of being denied nomination forms – the country’s largest bar association has seen its traditional electoral dynamics replaced by a direct face-off between factions backed by BNP and Jamaat.
Out of 21,731 eligible voters, only 2,759 cast their ballots during the first day of polling.
Dhaka Bar Chief Election Commissioner Borhan Uddin told Times of Bangladesh that while morning rain caused difficulties, the process remained free of formal complaints, though pro-Awami League lawyers have already dismissed the proceedings as a “staged election” held under the “fear of the mob.”
The two-day poll, which concludes on Thursday, marks a stark transition for the association; in the 2024-25 election, Awami League-backed candidates swept 21 of the 23 executive posts.
Following the uprising and subsequent restrictions on the party, those previous winners have been unable to attend court, leaving their rivals from the Blue Panel (BNP-Gono Odhikar) and the Green Panel (Jamaat-NCP) to battle for control of the committee.
Polling is conducted from 9am to 5pm. A total of 46 candidates from the two main panels, along with nine independent candidates, are contesting for 23 executive committee positions, including the posts of President and General Secretary.
The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel (Blue Panel), comprised of BNP supporters and the Gono Odhikar Parishad, is competing against the Ainjibi Oikya Parishad (Green Panel), a coalition of Jamaat-e-Islami supporters and lawyers from the Jatiya Nagorik Party-NCP.
The political shift follows the interim government’s restrictions on Awami League activities and the suspension of its registration with the Election Commission, which prevented the party from contesting the national election on 12 February.
While bar association elections are not strictly party-based and carry no legal prohibition against Awami League supporters, party followers alleged they were prevented from running even as independent candidates because they were not issued nomination forms.
Kamal Khan, the Blue Panel’s candidate for General Secretary, attributed the low voter turnout to the weather and expressed hope for higher attendance on the second day.
Zahirul Islam, a member candidate for the Green Panel, also stated that the voting was conducted fairly and without any issues.
However, pro-Awami League lawyer Zakir Hossain Litton dismissed the election as “staged.” He claimed that many lawyers were staying away from the polls out of “fear of the mob.”
Since the mass uprising, the association has been managed by BNP-Jamaat-led opposition who previously contested against the now-absent winners of the last election.
