The upcoming Dhaka Bar Association elections, scheduled for 29 and 30 April, have become a contentious battlefield, echoing the intensity and polarization of national politics.
Amid the lingering aftershocks of the July 2024 mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League (AL) government, the absence of a panel supported by the ousted AL has transformed the elections into a political struggle.
The AL-backed lawyers have found themselves sidelined, unable to contest under their traditional banner. Despite attempts to run as independent candidates, they were blocked from obtaining nomination forms, citing an alleged restriction that independent candidates could only access forms with the president’s approval — a rule that never existed in previous elections.
Elections amid political uncertainty
In the upcoming elections, the Gono Adhikar Parishad will compete alongside BNP supporters, who are running under the banner of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel (Blue Panel). They will face a coalition of Jamaat supporters who have allied with the National Citizen’s Party (NCP), running under the Ainjibi Oikya parishad (Green Panel).
The election, set to fill 23 positions on the executive committee — including the president and general secretary — will see 46 candidates vying for office. With 21,731 voters eligible to cast ballots, the race has drawn sharp attention from various political factions.
However, the political atmosphere is thick with tension. Since the mass uprising in 2024, which saw the fall of the Awami League government, the party’s registration with the Election Commission was suspended. Despite the fact that lawyers’ elections are not party-based, AL supporters have found themselves unable to participate fully in the electoral process.
Alleged barriers to participation
Several AL-supported lawyers have claimed that they were effectively barred from running by a new provision in the election rules, requiring presidential approval to obtain nomination forms. This rule, they argue, was imposed arbitrarily and without precedent.
Obaidul Islam, an Awami League-supported lawyer who intended to contest for the position of senior assistant general secretary, was one of the affected candidates. “We were told that we couldn’t receive forms without the Bar president’s approval, but the president did not approve,” Islam told TIMES. “This rule never existed before.”
Similarly, Mohammad Liton, who hoped to run for assistant general secretary, was denied a form despite following all required procedures. Other prominent AL-supported figures, including Tahmina Taher Mumu (aspirant for general secretary position) and Khaier Uddin Shikdar (aspirant for treasurer), also reported similar challenges, with their attempts to collect nomination forms thwarted.
When contacted about these allegations, Dhaka Bar Association President Khorshed Mia Alam informed that he was in a meeting and could not speak at the moment, before ending the call.
Dhaka Bar’s Chief Election Commissioner Md Borhan Uddin has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless.” He maintained that independent candidates who paid the necessary fees were given valid nomination forms, and there was no requirement for the president’s approval to receive a form.
BNP and Jamaat-NCP contestants speak out
Among the contested positions, candidates from the BNP-supported Blue Panel and the Jamaat-NCP Green Panel have expressed confidence in the fairness of the election. Anwar Zahid Bhuiyan, a candidate for president under the BNP banner, said, “I don’t know if anyone has been obstructed from participating in the election. InshAllah, the election will be free and fair.”
SAM Kamal Uddin, the Green Panel’s nominee for president, raised concerns over the perceived bias in the election process. He claimed that the chief election commissioner had made decisions unilaterally, favouring the BNP-backed lawyers. “Seven out of the ten members in the commission were selected from the BNP-supporting camp,” Kamal alleged. “If they wanted a fair election, they wouldn’t have done this.”
A divided legal community
While the election is not officially tied to any political party, the deep divisions within the legal community are clear. The atmosphere surrounding the Dhaka Bar polls mirrors the broader political fragmentation in the country. As the date approaches, questions of fairness, transparency, and political influence continue to dominate discussions among the legal fraternity.
Chief Election Commissioner Borhan Uddin has reiterated his commitment to a fair and impartial election. “I hope the election will be fair and impartial,” he said.
