First time in 132 years: All BNP-Jamaat panel candidates elected uncontested in Ctg bar election

The pro-BNP-Jamaat panel has achieved 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 this afternoon (13 April).

"As there were no other contestants and no objections, the candidates were declared elected uncontested according to the constitution of the association," election commission member Advocate Masudul Alam confirmed told The Business Standard this evening.

However, the official expressed disappointment over the uncontested nature of the election. 

"A competitive election would have been healthier for the legal community," he said, holding both political camps responsible for the situation.

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, Hel 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

Resignation in protest

The controversy took a new turn last evening 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.

"For the first time in 132 years, an ad-hoc committee was formed for the Chattogram Bar Association, and I was honored to be part of it," he said. 

He went on to say, "We appointed an election commission expecting them to ensure a transparent and inclusive process. Unfortunately, the commission failed to meet those expectations."

Allegations of obstruction

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. 

"We tried to enter the library three times, but pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers physically prevented us. To avoid further conflict, we left the area," he told TBS.

He claimed that despite submitting a formal complaint to the ad-hoc committee, no action was taken to address the issue. 

"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. 

"The constitution allows a 72-hour window for nomination form collection, but this time, only two hours were permitted, which is a complete violation," he alleged. 

Shahadat Hossain, public prosecutor of the Public Safety Tribunal and a candidate supported by the LDP, claimed also that his team was obstructed while trying to collect nomination forms, effectively denying them the opportunity to contest.