BNP-Jamaat backed panel wins SC Bar polls

The BNP-Jamaat-backed Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikkya Panel (JAOP) bagged nine out of 14 executive posts, including those of president and secretary, in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election that ended on Monday.

BNP chairperson's adviser and incumbent SCBA President Khandker Mahbub Hossain of the JAOP has been re-elected president while the party joint secretary general and incumbent SCBA Secretary AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon has retained his post.

The ruling Awami League-backed Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad (SASP) has secured five executive posts.

Khandker Mahbub got 1,750 votes out of total 4,355 votes, while his rival Yusuf Hossain Humayun, a member of the AL advisory council, secured 1,587 votes.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon got 1,880 votes and his rival Momtazuddin Ahmed Mehedi, an executive member of the AL, obtained 1,477 votes.

Khandker Mahbub, also vice chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, has been elected SCBA president for the fourth time, and Mahbub Uddin Khokon has been elected SCBA secretary for the third time.

Last year, the JAOP had won 13 out of 14 executive posts of the SCBA, including those of president and secretary, and the SASP had got one post.

The JAOP has been dominating the SCBA since 2010.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star that most of the SASP candidates had lost in the SCBA elections as the lawyers of the highest court had cast their votes considering the political situation and the government's action that deprived people of justice and rule of law.

AM Aminuddin, former SCBA secretary from the SASP, said the SASP had lost in the SCBA elections as the JAOP lawyers had made huge new voters who had cast their votes for the JAOP candidates.

Other winners from the JAOP are: ASM Mokter Kabir Khan (vice president), Shawkat Ara Begum Dulalee (treasurer), Mazedul Islam Patwary Ujjal (assistant secretary) and Mirza Al Mahmood, Anowarul Islam Shaheen, Jasim Sarker and Shamima Sultana Dipti (executive members).

The winners from the SASP are Abul Khayer (vice president), Dilower Mostafa Chowdhury Modhu (assistant secretary) and AKM Daudur Rahman Mina, Omit Das Gupta and Mohiuddin Shamim (executive members).

The two-day polls ended on Monday afternoon and the results were announced early yesterday.