CHATTOGRAM, Apr 15: The elections of Chattogram Bar Association were held unopposed.
BNP supporters contested 14 positions, including the president, while Jamaat supporters contested seven positions
So, all 21 BNP-Jamaat-backed candidates of Chattogram Bar Association were elected uncontested.
Earlier, the Election Commission finalised 21 candidates, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters, for the Bar Association elections.
The final list was published after the deadline to present an objection and hold a hearing against the validity of nomination papers expired on April 12 last. The elections were scheduled to be held on April 16.
First time in 132 years, all BNP-Jamaat panel candidates elected uncontested in Ctg bar election Pro-Awami League, LDP, left leaning groups raised allegations of obstruction while collecting nomination papers.
Excepting BNP and Jammat candidates, other candidates of Awami League and its related parties could not collect nomination papaers for contesting in the election.
The pro-BNP-Jamaat panel got a clean sweep in the Chattogram District Bar Association's 2025 election, with all 21 of their candidates declared uncontested winners - a historic first in the 132-year history of the institution.
While the outcome was effectively sealed after the submission of nomination forms on Friday - amid allegations of obstruction by Awami League and left-leaning candidates - the formal announcement came in the afternoon on 13 April.
"As there were no other contestants and no objections, the candidates were declared elected uncontested according to the constitution of the association," said election commission member Advocate Masudul Alam.
However, the official expressed disappointment over the uncontested nature of the election.
The newly elected office bearers of the Chattogram District Bar Association are Abdus Sattar, president; Mohammad Hasan Ali Chowdhury, general secretary; Alamgir Mohammad Yunus, vice president; Md Fazlul Bari, joint general secretary; Mohammad Anwar Hossain, treasurer;
Touhidul Islam, librarian; Ashrafi Binte Motaleb, cultural secretary;
M Manzur Hossain, sports secretary; and Abdul Jabbar, secretary of information and technology.
In addition, the 11 elected executive members are Ahsan Ullah Manik, Asma Khanam, Bibi Fatema, Helal Uddin, Mezbah Ul Alam Amin, Md. Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, Md Rubaiyatul Karim, Md Shahed Hossain, Mohammad Morshed, Rahila Gulshan, and Sajjad Kamrul Hossain.
The uncontested victory of the BNP-Jamaat panel has raised serious concerns about fairness and democratic processes within one of the country's oldest legal institutions.
The controversy took a new turn when Syed Anwar Hossain, a member of the ad-hoc committee, resigned in protest.
In a letter addressed to the convener of the ad-hoc committee, he wrote that the lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the election process had caused him personal distress. Acting on his conscience, he chose to step down.
The pro-Awami League panel - running under the banner Rashid-Jabed-Mahtab Parishad - along with candidates backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and other left-leaning groups, claimed they were prevented from submitting nomination forms by BNP-Jamaat-aligned lawyers.
Md Abdur Rashid Lokman, the proposed president candidate from the AL-backed group, alleged that they were blocked three times from collecting nomination forms at the association's library on 10 April.
"Ninety-eight percent of the members wanted to vote, but a handful of individuals have disgraced the democratic tradition of this prestigious institution," Lokman said.
He also accused the election commission of violating the association's constitution.
For the first time, each post in the Chittagong District Bar Association had only one candidate, resulting in an uncontested win.
The concerned lawyers said the 21 posts were "shared" among those aligned with BNP-Jamaat.
BNP-supporting lawyers have nominated candidates for a total of 14 positions, including for the posts of the president and general secretary.
Earlier, Chattogram District Bar Association (CDBA) election was postponed and could not be held on February 10 following en masse resignation of all members of Election Commission including its chairman.
In a letter to CDBA President and General Secretary, Chief Election Commissioner Advocate Mohammad Solaiman and other members of the body submitted their resignation.
The election conducting officials mentioned in the letter that although they completed all preparation to hold the election free and fair manner but prevailing tense and troublesome situation between both contesting camps over deployment of law enforcers and armed forces as well as protest against participation of fascist allies in the polls created a chaotic atmosphere, which posed a serious threat to holding the election smoothly.
