Chattogram District Bar Association forms first-ever ad-hoc committee in 132 years
The five-member committee announced through “unanimous consensus,” is led by Advocate Mokbul Qader Chowdhury, who resigned from his role as chief election officer of the election commission.
For the first time in its 132-year history, the Chattogram District Bar Association formed an ad-hoc committee on Sunday (17 February).
The five-member committee, announced through "unanimous consensus", is led by Advocate Mokbul Qader Chowdhury, who resigned from his role as chief election officer of the election commission.
The other members are Shamsul Alam, Syed Anwar Hossain, Zahurul Alam, and Rafique Ahmed.
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Among them, Mokbul Qader Chowdhury, Zahurul Alam, and Rafique Ahmed are affiliated with the BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, while Shamsul Alam and Syed Anwar Hossain are associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami supported Bangladesh Lawyers' Council.
The general meeting to form the ad-hoc committee took place at the association's auditorium from 2:30pm to 5:30pm on Sunday.
The committee has been mandated to organise elections within the next 60 days.
Advocate Ashraf Hossain Chowdhury Razzak, general secretary of the association, said, "Our term has ended, and the elections have not taken place. As per the Constitution, a general meeting was called, and an ad-hoc committee was formed with Advocate Mokbul Qader Chowdhury as convener and four others as members."
The association's outgoing President Advocate Nazim Uddin Chowdhury added, "Over 500 lawyers participated in the meeting. The ad-hoc committee is expected to conduct the elections within 60 days."
Political rivalry and election disruptions
The now-cancelled elections saw BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum and Jamaat-e-Islami supported Bangladesh Lawyers' Council jointly contesting under the banner of Ainjibi Oikya Parishad.
On the other hand, the Awami League-backed Sammilito Ainjibi Somonnoy Parishad also formed a panel but strategically named it Rashid-Jabed-Mahtab Parishad for this election.
For the first time, the Chattogram District Bar Association resorted to forming an ad-hoc committee following a tense situation between Awami League and BNP-affiliated lawyers. Six days before the scheduled elections, the chief election officer and the entire election commission resigned, leading to the necessity of forming an ad-hoc committee. However, pro-Awami League lawyers informally boycotted Sunday's meeting.
A lawyer, speaking anonymously, said, "Mokbul Qader Chowdhury was originally the chief election officer for the first election commission. He later resigned and now leads the ad-hoc committee, which he seems to have willingly accepted."
Abdur Rashid Lokman, Awami League-backed candidate for president from the Sammilito Ainjibi Somonnoy Parishad, said, "Some of our senior lawyers are facing legal cases, which prevented them from attending the meeting. Also, the abrupt cancellation of elections has left many members disappointed. Interest in the election process has declined."
Regarding the ad-hoc committee, he added, "We do not disagree with its formation. Since the election was cancelled, an ad-hoc committee was formed following the Constitution. If they conduct a fair election within 60 days, we will welcome it."
The association's elections were originally scheduled for February 10. The first election commission was formed on December 30 last year, but it was later dissolved. On January 14, a new commission was established, which also eventually resigned. A total of 40 candidates were set to contest for 21 positions, with 5,404 lawyers eligible to vote.
