Bangladesh Bar Council is all set to hold its election today and all necessary preparations have been taken in this regard.
The contestants are passing very busy time campaigning and seeking votes in traditional ways like handing out pamphlets. They are also making full use of the information technology by campaigning on social networking sites like facebook, tweeter and by sending SMSs.
“All the necessary preparations have been made. Polling materials have already been sent to the polling stations throughout the country,” said Bangladesh Bar Council secretary Mohammad Altaf Hossain. According to the revised voter list, as many as 43,302 lawyers will cast their votes today. Voting will start at 10am and continue till 5 pm. Every voter has to keep his national identity card and identity card given by his respective bar council along with him during the voting.
Bangladesh Bar Council is a Statutory Autonomous Body of the Government constituted under the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972. It consists of 15 members of whom the Attorney General for Bangladesh is one and is the ex-officio Chairman. Others are elected by advocates for a term of three years from among them, of whom seven from general seats and seven from seven zonal or group seats. Earlier on July 9, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court set August 26 to hold the election and directed Attorney General to publish the voter list by July 30. The Appellate Division passed the order accepting a plea of the Attorney General. The election was scheduled to be held on August 13. The High Court on May 21 had postponed the polls for three months.
On May 28, the AD had asked to publish the corrected voter list by July 12. But Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on July 7 submitted a petition seeking more time to publish the voter list. A total of four separate panels including pro-Awami League Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad (SASP) and pro-BNP, Jamaat Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel (JAOP), have declared the names of their respective candidates.
The seven candidates from SASP for general member posts are – Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder, Barrister Rokonuddin Mahmud, Advocate Abdul Matin Khasru, SM Rezaul Karim, Advocate ZI Khan Panna and Advocate PC Guha. Candidates from the JAOP are – Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Advocate Sanaullah Miah, Barrister Badruddoza Badal, Advocates Borhanuddin and Mohsin Miah.
