Pro-Awami League panel wins all posts in SCBA election marred by chaos

The pro-Awami League lawyers' group Bangabandhu Awami Ainjibi Parishad has won all 14 posts in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election 2023-24 that was marred by unprecedented chaos, with scuffles, police assaults, and stampedes.

Momtaz Uddin Fakir and Abdun Noor Dulal were re-elected as president and secretary, respectively.

Md Moniruzzaman, convener of an election management sub-committee, announced the results Thursday midnight in the South Hall of the association after the second day of polling.

Among 8,602 voters of the bar association, 4,137 from the pro-Awami League white panel of lawyers cast their votes in the election, while the BNP-backed blue panel abstained from voting and demanded re-election.

According to the results, Md Ali Azam and Jasmine Sultana won the posts of vice presidents, M Masud Alam Chowdhury won as treasurer, and ABM Noor-e-Alam and Mohammad Haroon-ur Rashid won as co-secretaries.

Besides, Mohiuddin Ahmed Rudra, Moniruzzaman Rana, Shafiq Raihan Shaon, Mo Safayet Hossain Sajib, Md Delwar Hossain, Md Nazmul Huda, and Subhash Chandra Das were elected members of the association.

Polling for the SCBA ended on Thursday amid unprecedented happenings, including scuffles, police assaults, and stampedes. The chaos was mainly caused by clashes between pro-Awami League and pro-BNP lawyers.

On Wednesday, during the first day of the polls, pro-BNP lawyers reportedly attacked and vandalised the polling booths. Protesting the attack, pro-Awami League lawyers brought out processions on the court premises. At one stage, pro-BNP and pro-Awami League lawyers engaged in scuffles, leading to police intervention.

During the police action, a few journalists who were taking photos and videos of the incident were assaulted by law enforcers.

On Thursday, tensions escalated as the two sides started verbally attacking one another, chanting slogans, "vote chor" (vote thieves), and throwing accusations. The clash first erupted around noon and lasted about an hour. Around 4pm, the two groups of lawyers came face to face, taking stands for and against the SCBA polls as well as attacking with slogans.

BNP-supporting lawyers led by presidential candidate Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and secretary general candidate Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol lodged a complaint to the Chief Justice at his court early in the morning over the incidents of Wednesday. At that time, seven other judges of the Appellate Division were also present.

The Chief Justice asked them to come to his personal room in the court along with Attorney General AM Amin Uddin. After the meeting, Amin Uddin told reporters that the Chief Justice has nothing to do about the situation that has arisen around the SCBA election.

"The Chief Justice said it is not a matter of court, rather it is a concern of the bar association. So, senior members of the association have been asked to resolve the issue on their own," he said.

Later on the day, election management committee convener Md Moniruzzaman filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station, alleging Pro-BNP lawyers Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Ruhul Quddus, and 12 others, alongside 100 anonymous people of stealing and tearing ballot papers and throwing away election-related accessories.

Rabiul Islam, administrative officer of the association, filed another case with the same police station on charges of attacks during the election, in which over 100 pro-BNP lawyers were made defendants.

Beginning of violence

On 13 March, senior lawyer Md Mansurul Haque Chowdhury was appointed the convener of the election management sub-committee on the consensus of both white and blue panels. Mansurul Haque, however, resigned from the position the next day on personal grounds.

Several leaders of the association told TBS that Mansurul Haque proposed taking the vote through electronic voting machines, but the pro-Awami League lawyers rejected it.

At the same time, current SCBA President Momtaz Uddin Fakir and Abdur Noor Dulal, who are politically leaning to the Awami League, allegedly pressured the convener to work in favour of the ruling party candidates.

On 14 March night, tension arose between the two panels as the White Panel lawyers nominated Md Moniruzzaman as the convener of the election management sub-committee. On the other hand, lawyers supported by the BNP nominated ASM Moktar Kabir Khan for the position.

At one point, the situation led to processions, commotion, and chaos. The situation came under control with the interference of the police.