Gulam Rabbani :
The distribution process of the money given from the prime minister’s relief fund for the lawyers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic has become questionable as millionaire lawyers are also getting this relief money along with the poor and affected lawyers.
The authorities have taken decision to distribute the money to all the lawyers equally.
However, the insiders said that the lawyers who were in good financial condition might not take the money.
Lawyer Md Muklesur Rahman Badal, one of the members of the Finance Committee of the Bangladesh Bar Council, said, “We have allocated the money for the lawyers affected by Coronavirus situation. The amount of money has been allocated in proportion to the number of lawyers in the concerned bar association. However, the lawyers who are in good financial condition may not take this money. In that case the respective bar leaders will redistribute it.”
Sources said, following an appeal made to the prime minister in 2020 seeking incentives for lawyers who had been facing financial crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic, a grant of Tk 20 crore was given from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund last February.
Law Minister Anisul Huq, on behalf of the prime minister, handed over the cheque of Tk 20 crore to the leaders of the Bangladesh Bar Council, the licensing and regularity body for all advocates of Bangladesh, in February last. At that time, the law minister said that the elected representatives of the Bar Council would decide on how the incentive money could be used.
Later the leaders of the Bar Council took a decision to distribute the money to its all advocates equally. As per the decision, a total of 63,567 lawyers across the country are getting the money. Each lawyer will get Tk 3099 from the amount of Tk 19.70 crore. Apart from this, Tk 30 lakh have been allocated in favour of an organization named Women Lawyers Welfare Fund.
Most of the cheques have already been distributed to the concerned bar association leaders. Dhaka Bar Association has received a total of Tk 6.70 crore for its 21625 members. Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has received a total of Tk 35.32 lakh for its 1140 members out of around 10,000 members.
The remaining members of the Supreme Court Bar Association who are members of different District Bars may get their money through those Bars, said SCBA Secretary Advocate Abdun Nur Dulal.
The lawyers’ leader said, “I received a cheque for 1140 members. But it is not clear who these 1140 members are. I have given a reminder notice to Bar Council authorities to clear the matter.”
“The amount is not a factor. It’s a token gift from the prime minister,” added the SCBA Secretary. Meanwhile, some lawyers of the Supreme Court told that they are not aware of the ‘token gift’.
