34 per cent turnout in Dhaka Bar polls

Voting for the Dhaka Bar Association election ended on Thursday.

Out of 20,785 eligible voters, 7,069 lawyers cast their ballots over Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in a turnout of approximately 34 percent.

Chief Election Commissioner senior lawyer Md Borhan Uddin described the atmosphere as "orderly" and announced that the counting of votes would commence after the Jumma prayers on Friday.

"The counting will begin by sorting the voter slips serially. We expect to announce the results either late Friday night or Saturday morning," he said.

A team of 10 commissioners and 100 members, led by Borhan, is managing the election process.

This year’s election features a shift in the traditional competitive landscape, as the Awami League-backed “White Panel” is absent from the race.

The competition is primarily between lawyers supported by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

The “Blue Panel” is supported by the BNP and Gono Odhikar Parishad under the banner of the Bangladesh Jatiyotabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel.

The “Green Panel” is backed by Jamaat and the National Citizen Party (NCP) under the banner of the Ainjibi Oikya Parishad.

A total of 55 candidates are vying for 23 executive positions.

Both the panels have fielded full sets of 23 candidates each, while nine independent candidates are also in the fray.