Chattogram Bar Association cancels membership of 867 lawyers

Chattogram District Bar Association has cancelled the membership of 867 lawyers and revoked 83 chamber allocations due to non-payment of dues, unpaid utility bills, and allegations of unprofessional conduct.

A K M Maqbul Quader Chowdhury, convener of the association's ad hoc committee, confirmed the development on Thursday, stating, "The decision was taken during a meeting of the ad hoc committee held on Wednesday afternoon (April 9)."

“The memberships were cancelled under sections 9(1), 9(2), and 9(3) of the association’s constitution for various reasons, including long-term default on association subscriptions, electricity bills, chamber rent, and misuse of benefits from the MB fund,” said Chowdhury.

Breakdown of the cancelled memberships includes: 17 for violating sections 9(1), 9(2), and 9(3), 16 for non-payment of chamber rent and electricity bills, 23 for non-payment of association subscriptions, and 27 for holding dual memberships while receiving benefits from the MB fund.

Sources within the association reported that the Chattogram District Bar currently has 7,521 registered members. However, the 867 whose memberships were revoked will not be eligible to vote in the upcoming general election, scheduled for April 16.

Chowdhury further explained that although the memberships were officially revoked on April 9, the names of the defaulters had already been excluded from the voter list in accordance with the association’s rules.

It was also revealed that after the issuance of a payment notice, only 57 lawyers cleared their outstanding subscriptions, and 28 settled their chamber-related dues. The remaining members failed to comply, prompting the association to take unanimous action in cancelling both membership and chamber rights.