BNP, Jamaat and AL panels to contest Cox’s Bazar lawyers' election
A total of 50 lawyers submitted nominations for 17 posts. Of them, 49 are from the three panels and one is an independent candidate
Cox's Bazar District Lawyers Association will hold its election on 28 February with three political panels from BNP, Jamaat and Awami League contesting for the first time in its history.
Previously, elections were usually held between two panels, one supported by BNP, Jamaat and their allies, and another by Awami League and its supporters. Independents occasionally contested a few positions. This is the first time BNP, Jamaat and Awami League each have separate panels.
A total of 50 lawyers submitted nominations for 17 posts. Of them, 49 are from the three panels and one is an independent candidate, according to Chief Election Commissioner Advocate Mohang Ahmed Kabir.
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The last date for withdrawing nominations is at around 1pm on Sunday (22 February). The final candidate list will be published the same day at 2pm.
Voting will take place on 28 February from 9am to 3pm at two centres, Cox's Bazar District Lawyers Association building and Chakaria Upazila Courthouse. Out of 943 voters, 861 will vote at Cox's Bazar centre and 82 at Chakaria centre. In the 2025 election, the association had 918 voters.
The BNP-supported Nationalist Lawyers Forum has nominated Advocate Mohammad Abdul Mannan for president, Advocate Mohammad Abu Taher and Advocate Mohammad Abdullah for senior vice president and vice president, Advocate Mohammad Shalimul Mostofa for general secretary, Advocate Nuru Rashid and Advocate Mohammad Monzur Alam for joint general secretaries, Advocate Shawkat Alam for library and IT secretary, Advocate Robiul Arafat (Bappa) for entertainment secretary, Advocate Iftekhar Mahmud for sports and cultural secretary, and Advocates Mostak Ahmed Chowdhury, Mohammad Yunus, Mohammad Tawhidul Anwar and Mohammad Abdur Rashid for senior executive members. Advocates Kamrul Hasan, Abdur Rahim, Mohammad Shahidul Islam and Azizul Karim are nominated for executive member posts.
The Jamaat-supported Bangladesh Lawyers Council panel nominated Advocate Mohammad Amir Hossain for president, Advocate Abdul Bari and Advocate Abdur Rahman for senior vice president and vice president, Advocate Mohammad Akhtar Uddin Helali for general secretary, Advocate Ziauddin Mahmud (Tamal) and Advocate Abdur Rahim for joint general secretaries, Advocate Nur Mohammad for library and IT secretary, Advocate Mohammad Ishak for entertainment secretary, Advocate Mohammad Shawkat Alam for sports and cultural secretary, Advocates AKM Shahjalal Chowdhury, Nurul Morshed Amin, Mohammad Nezamul Haque and Nazim Uddin for senior executive members, and Advocates Taher Ahmed Sikdar, SM Jasim Uddin, Mohammad Hanif and Mohammad Abdul Khalek for executive members.
The Awami League-supported Bangabandhu Awami Lawyers Coordination Council submitted candidates for 15 of 17 posts. Advocate Mohammad Badiul Alam Sikdar is nominated for president, Advocate Mohammad Selim Newaz for senior vice president, Advocate Mohammad Nurul Huda for general secretary, Advocate Monirul Islam and Advocate Mohammad Mohiuddin for joint general secretaries, Advocate Jasim Uddin for library and IT secretary, Advocate Mohammad Riduon Ali for entertainment secretary, Advocate Nahida Khanom Koxi for sports and cultural secretary, Advocates Mohammad Rafiqul Uddin, Iqbalur Rashid Amin and Ziauddin Ahmad for senior executive members, and Advocates Mohammad Rashel, Parvin Sultana Pia, SM Hosain Mahmud Mosharraf and Sekab Uddin for executive members.
Although Awami League and its affiliate organisations have submitted candidates, the party has been officially banned by the interim government under the Anti-Terrorism Act. According to a gazette notification issued on 12 May 2025, the ban will remain in effect until the trials of AL leaders and their affiliates are completed.
Advocate Nasir Uddin submitted an independent nomination for general secretary.
Chief election commissioner Advocate Mohang Ahmed Kabir, M Rezaul Karim, Syed Rashed Uddin and Mostak Ahmed serve as assistant chief election commissioners. Advocates Farid Ahmed, Nur Ahmed, Abu Siddique, Tapas Rakshit, Mohammad Sirajullah, AK Firoz Ahmed and Mohang Arif Ullah are election commissioners. A candidate introduction meeting will be held on 23 February at 3pm at the association building.
Cox's Bazar District Lawyers Association elections usually involve BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami League, Jatiyo Party, Jasad, Communist Party and other parties in separate panels. After the 5 August 2024 events, Awami League and its allies did not give a combined panel in the 2025 election. BNP and Jamaat again submitted separate panels.
The association's annual general meeting, sports awards, iftar and dinner will be held tomorrow (21 February) at Jara Convention Centre.
In the 2025 election, BNP-backed candidates won nine posts including president and general secretary, Jamaat-backed candidates won six posts including senior vice president, and Awami League-backed candidates won two posts.
