Staff Reporter :
A special general meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) ended yesterday (Tuesday) amid chaos and scuffle among lawyers and ignorance of health guidelines.
The meeting was organized at the SCBA auditorium yesterday afternoon in order to fix the procedures to fill up the vacant post of its president as per article 16 of its constitution, since its newly elected President Abdul Matin Khasru, MP, died of Covid-19 on April 14.
The chaos and scuffle took place in the meeting after ruling Awami League lawyers led by SCBA’s Vice President Muhammad Shafique Ullah proposed the name of outgoing president AM Amin Uddin as new President of the SCBA.
A group of pro-BNP lawyers including SCBA Secretary Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal opposed the proposal of pro-Awami League lawyers and demanded that an election has to be held to elect the new president of the organization (SCBA). They (pro-BNP lawyers) also declared the meeting postponed.
However, SCBA’s Vice President Muhammad Shafique Ullah declared AM Amin Uddin, Attorney General of the state, elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association for rest of the period of 2021-2022 amid the chaos and scuffle.
Later on, the SCBA faction led by Muhammad Shafique Ullah drafted a resolution saying that all the members of the bar orally supported AM Amin Uddin as the new president as no other lawyer’s name was proposed in the meeting for the post of SCBA president.
Meanwhile, SCBA Secretary Ruhul Quddus Kazal, leader of pro-BNP lawyers, issued a separate notification saying that the special general meeting of the SCBA has been postponed without any discussion and decision till further notice due to the unwanted situation.
Ruhul Quddus Kazal told the reporters that no president of the SCBA was elected, as the special general meeting of the SCBA could not be held yesterday (Tuesday) due to health risk situation in the auditorium. The special general meeting was scheduled to be held to determine the procedure to fill up the vacant post of SCBA president, not to elect the president.
“We will take next steps after consulting with senior lawyers including former presidents and secretaries of the SCBA,” the SCBA secretary said.
Meanwhile, AM Amin Uddin told the reporters that there is no legal bar for him to discharge responsibility of the SCBA president, as the executive committee (led by Muhammad Shafique Ullah) has issued a resolution declaring him elected.
“I will start discharging responsibility as the SCBA president later on because the regular court functions are now suspended due to Covid-19 pandemic. I will take necessary decisions after talking to relevant persons concerned of the SCBA,” he added.
Article-16 of the SCBA Constitution read as follows- casual vacancies- “In the case of a casual vacancy occurring on account of the removal, resignation or death of any office bearer or other member the vacancy shall be filled within a month by election in a Special General Meeting of the Association to be held for the purpose and the manner of this election shall be decided by the meeting itself”.
