Ballots will not be recounted

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday gave into the demand of some pro-Awami League lawyers and decided not to recount all ballot papers of the Bangladesh Bar Council election.  

Meanwhile, a faction of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) protested remarks made by the association's secretary, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who claimed there were "unprecedented irregularities" in the recently held elections. 

Mahbubey Alam, who is chairman of Bar Council, the licensing and regulatory body of lawyers, had earlier took the decision to recount the ballot papers in the council's auditorium as per the relevant provisions of the Bar Council Rules-1972.

However, pro-AL lawyers demanded that the attorney general declare the result after compiling tabulation sent by the presiding officers from across the country.

Some of the lawyers shouted saying they do not accept the attorney general's decision.    

Finally, the attorney general gave in and Bar Council officials and some lawyers began tallying up the votes in the tabulation sheets, said sources.

According to the election's unofficial results, pro-AL lawyers' panel won a landslide victory in the Bangladesh Bar Council elections, defeating the pro-BNP-Jamaat panel.

Sammilito Ainjibi Samannoy Parishad secured 10 out of 14 executive member posts. Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel bagged the rest. The elected members will take the office for the next three years.

On the other hand, five pro-AL SCBA lawyers at a conference at the association's media centre claimed Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who is a BNP leader, made false remarks about the election for political gains.

The lawyers are the association's Vice-President Abul Khair, Assistant Secretary Dilowar Mostafa Chowdhury Madhu, and executive members -- Mohi Uddin Shamim, AKM Daudur Rahman Mina and Amit Das Gupta.

The SCBA secretary's demand for re-election was a personal one and his statement does not reflect the opinion of SCBA, though it is dominated by pro-BNP lawyers, said Abul Khair.

Mahbub Uddin Khokon at a press conference at the SCBA auditorium on July 31 demanded suspension of the results of elections to Bar Council, and holding its re-election citing "unprecedented irregularities." 

Contacted, Khokon yesterday said he held the press conference on behalf of the SCBA as a total of 1,342 SCBA lawyers could not cast votes and names of total 7,417 lawyers of Dhaka Bar Association were deleted from the voter list.