Dhaka Bar Election Row: Green Panel Alleges Bias, Seeks Neutral Commission

MM Rahmatullah: The Bangladesh Lawyers’ Council-backed Lawyers Unity Council (Green Panel) has alleged discrimination and conspiracy over the upcoming Dhaka Bar Association election and demanded reconstitution of the Election Commission.The demand was made at a press conference held Sunday afternoon at the Dhaka Bar building.Speaking at the press conference, Advocate Md. Jasim Uddin Sarkar, Central President of Bangladesh Lawyers’ Council, said their organization has always played an uncompromising role in protecting lawyers’ rights and will not accept any irregularities or discrimination. He alleged that past rules and conventions have been violated in this year’s election process. He stressed that ensuring the neutrality of the commission is essential for a fair and acceptable election.Central Secretary General Advocate Matiur Rahman Akand said there has long been a practice of forming the Election Commission with equal representation from both panels. However, this time the commission was formed with 7 members from the BNP-backed Blue Panel and only 3 from the Green Panel, which he called clear discrimination. He also alleged unequal representation in the assistant commission. Such arrangements risk making the election questionable, he warned.Green Panel’s presidential candidate Advocate S.M. Kamal Uddin said written and verbal requests to reconstitute the commission were ignored. He claimed the biased formation of the commission has raised fears of a conspiracy regarding the election.Speakers at the press conference demanded the immediate dissolution of the current Election Commission and the formation of an independent and neutral commission with equal members from both panels. They said that otherwise, the election will lose credibility among general lawyers. Various leaders and candidates of the Lawyers Unity Council were present at the press conference.