An official announcement on the formation of the Bar Council yesterday said, "The Attorney General of Bangladesh will act as its ex-officio Chairman."

The other members of the Council are Justice Syed Amirul Islam, advocates Abdul Baset Majumder, Khandakar Mahbub Hossain, Mahmudul Islam, Shafique Ahmed, M Monsurul Haque Chowdhury, Shah Mohammad Khasruzzaman, AY Moshihhuzaman, Mojibur Rahman Talukder of Rajshahi Bar, Fakir Delwar Hossain of Dhaka Bar, Abdul Hye Khan of Sylhet Bar, Chistee Sohrab Hossain Sikder of Khulna Bar, Mohammad Abdul Quddus of Chittagong Bar and Dilip Kumar Ghosh of Barisal Bar.

The stand-in body of Bar Council will be effective till January 31, 2008.

Talking to UNB, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, outgoing vice-chairman of the Bar Council, said since the tenure of the Bar Council expired on June 30, the government did the right thing by constituting an ad hoc committee to keep it running.

"We tried to hold election to the Bar Council before the expiry of the elected body, but the government didn't allow us. In fact, the Bar Council ceased to exist since July 1," Rokan said.