BNP-backed lawyers sweep polls, win 13 of 14 posts

The BNP-backed Nationalist Lawyers’ Panel (Blue Panel) secured a landslide victory in the 2026-27 session election of the Supreme Court Bar Association, winning 13 out of 14 posts, including president and secretary.

The remaining executive member post was won by a candidate from the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Lawyers’ Unity Panel (Green Panel).

Vote counting began on Wednesday night (May 13) following the two-day polling and the final results were announced early Thursday (May 14) by the election subcommittee chief, retired justice Md. Miftah Uddin Chowdhury.

According to the results, BNP-backed candidate A M Mahbub Uddin Khokon was elected president with 2,984 votes, defeating Green Panel candidate Abdul Baten, who secured 778 votes.

For the secretary post, Blue Panel candidate Mohammad Ali won with 2,582 votes, while his nearest rival, A K M Rezaul Karim Khandaker of the Green Panel, received 786 votes.

In the vice-president posts, Md. Magfur Rahman Sheikh and Md. Shahjahan were elected, while Md. Ziaur Rahman won the treasurer position. Maksud Ullah and Mohammad Shamsul Islam Mukul were elected assistant secretaries.

Among the seven executive member posts, six were won by Blue Panel candidates — H M Sanzid Siddiqui, A K M Azad Hossain, Wahid Afroz Chowdhury, Md. Kabir Hossain, Md. Zia Uddin Mia and Md. Tipu Sultan. The remaining post went to Green Panel candidate Azim Uddin Patwari.

A total of 4,048 lawyers cast votes out of 11,097 registered voters, while 40 candidates contested for the 14 positions.

Although panels backed by BNP, Jamaat and NCP participated in the election, lawyers aligned with the Bangladesh Awami League were barred from contesting following a decision taken at a special general meeting on April 26.

Awami League-backed lawyers, however, criticised the move, describing it as “undemocratic” and “illegal.”