Bangladesh’s Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has rejected the nomination papers of 42 out of 90 lawyers vying for positions in its upcoming election, citing alleged ties to the Awami League. The decision was made during an extraordinary general meeting in Dhaka, where members voted to disqualify pro-Awami League lawyers from participating in the annual elections scheduled for May 13 and 14. Among those barred from the SCBA polls are candidates for various key positions, including president, secretary, treasurer, assistant secretaries, and executive members.
Confirming the disqualifications, SCBA Senior Vice-President Md Humayun Kabir Manju, a pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawyer, stated that a scrutiny revealed the candidates’ “direct and indirect involvement” with Awami League activities. Following the exclusions, 48 candidates are left in the running for the upcoming election. Some of the disqualified lawyers have criticized the decision, asserting that they had submitted their nominations as individuals and not as representatives of any political party.
One of the disqualified presidential candidates, Md Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury, denounced the move as “illegal and condemnable.” He described the actions of the ad hoc committee as unprecedented and farcical, labeling it a disgraceful chapter in the 77-year history of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Earlier this week, an international human rights organization strongly criticized the SCBA’s decision to disqualify over 20 lawyers allegedly linked to the Awami League, preventing them from contesting the upcoming elections.
