Staff Reporter :
Pro-BNP lawyers of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) have rejected the election result of the SCBA announced by an election sub-committee formed unilaterally by pro-Awami League lawyers.
At the same time they demanded publishing of the election results of the SCBA 2022-2023 sessions
by an election sub-committee that was formed as per the constitution of the organization.
The lawyers made the appeal in a press conference held on Thursday in the office of the Law Reporters’ Forum, a body of the journalists who cover legal affairs issues.
Former President of the SCBA and also a Senior Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali read a written statement in the press conference.
Advocate Zainul Abedin, Advocate Fazlur Rahman, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Barrister Md Bodruddoza Badal, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Barrister Kayser Kamal, among others, were also present on the occasion.
The lawyers sought Chief Justice’s interference to overcome the situation. They also appealed to the Chief Justice to appoint a High Court division judge to investigate the ballot rigging of the SCBA election.
Lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali said the steps taken in an unprecedented manner following terrorist and undemocratic ways in violation of the long standing tradition of the Supreme Court Bar Association were strongly reprehensible. It has tarnished the glorious 75-year old history of the bar, also alleged the lawyer.
Ruling Awami League-backed candidate Md Abdun Nur Dulal has been declared Secretary of Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association on Wednesday night following a ex parte recount of March 15-16 election opposed by lawyers backed by main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The declaration came over one month after brawls of lawyers loyal to ruling Awami League and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party over the dispute to elect the post of Secretary.
Lawyers from the rival political parties scuffled, engaged in a serious fistfight with each other and demonstrated in front of the room where recount started at 3:00pm on Wednesday and ended at 10:00pm at the association’s building. Awami league lawyers had been demanding recount of ballots for the post of Secretary while BNP lawyers have been demanding to re-elect Ruhul Quddus Kazal as Secretary.
Kazal was leading in the first count took place on March 17 when the count was suspended by previous election steering sub-committee convener AY Mashiuzzaman after supporters of his rival Dulal locked in chaos at midnight demanding to recount.
BNP-backed lawyers’ blue panel bagged seven out of 14 SCBA executive posts, while the Secretary was leading in the first count and Ruling Awami League-backed white panel secured six posts, including the President.
A six-member election steering sub-committee, headed by Ozi Ullah, a former AL-back SCBA Vice President, said Dulal was declared Secretary following ‘ex parte recount’ which was boycotted by BNP candidates.
Ozi Ullah said that he declared 13 others candidates, including that of the President as winners following the first count.
“The president-elect Md Momtazuddin Fakir and the association’s former Secretary Bashir Ahmed recounted the ballots of Secretary posts where Dulal defeated Kazal by 45 votes,” Ozi Ullah said.
“They revoked 202 disputed votes which was not casted according to the rules,” he added.
According to the first count, former secretary Md Momtazuddin Fakir was elected the President defeating his rival Md Bodruddoza Badal.
The election steering sub-committee members, without declaring the unofficial result amid the chaos, decided to sit with the rival candidates on the following day if the re-recounting prayer would be granted or not.
The result of the SCBA election remained withheld over the month as convener AY Mashiuzzaman later left the country for United States and on his back to the country he refused to complete the election process stating that supporters of Awmi League back-candidates misbehaved with him during the first count on March 17.
The association’s former Presidents and Secretaries repeatedly requested Mashiuzzaman to declare result of the elections, but he denied.
