Nearly 200 pro-Awami League lawyers barred from contesting bar elections in Bangladesh

Dhaka, May 12 (IANS) At least 200 lawyers in Bangladesh associated with the Awami League have been banned from contesting in at least 13 bar association elections since January, local media reported on Tuesday, citing members of lawyers’ associations across the country.

Although many attempted to contest as independent candidates, they were reportedly prevented from collecting or submitting nomination papers, with several nominations cancelled by bar associations.

Amid growing concerns over the restrictions on the pro-Awami League lawyers, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) is set to hold a two-day election from Wednesday, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.

Recently, the SCBA had rejected the nomination papers of 42 lawyers out of 90 candidates for the May 13-14 elections, on grounds of alleged links to the Awami League.

According to several legal experts and rights activists, the exclusion of pro-Awami League lawyers from bar association elections weakens democratic norms and contradicts the constitutional provisions of freedom of association.

Manzill Murshid, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court lawyer, said that pro-Awami League lawyers, along with those linked to the 14-party alliance and some independent candidates, had their nomination papers cancelled.

“The issue is no longer confined to one political party; it raises broader concerns about the democratic environment within professional bodies,” The Daily Star quoted Murshid as saying.

Condemning the restrictions, another Supreme Court lawyer, Sara Hossain, said, “The right to contest elections to professional bodies is directly related to the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of association and expression.”

Additionally, emphasising the importance of professional values over political identities, Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir said, “We all have to strive for professional excellence. A free and fair environment is required for a participatory election.”

Last week, several pro-Awami League lawyers accused Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-backed lawyers of obstruction and assault while attempting to collect nomination papers for the Chattogram District Bar Association (CDBA) election scheduled for May 21, local media reported.

The incident unfolded on May 4 at the Bar Library entrance when a group of lawyers, led by pro-Awami League presidential candidate Abdur Rashid, went to collect nomination forms under the banner of ‘Sadharan Ainjibi Parishad’.

The recent pattern of alleged discrimination against legal professionals and the cancellation of candidacies of pro-Awami League lawyers in bar association polls across several districts in Bangladesh solely on the basis of political ideology has sparked international outrage and drawn criticism from the global community.

–IANS

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