The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Nationwide voting in the Bar Council election ended yesterday afternoon, with some 29,724 lawyers going to polls to elect 14 representatives to the country's biggest body of law practitioners.

Voting began countrywide at 77 centres from 10am and ending at 5pm. Results will be announced in three or four days, officials have said.

Bar Council secretary Taslim Uddin Khan told bdnews24.com yesterday: "Lawyers have cast their votes peacefully and there was no news of incidents from any polling centre."

"Counting of ballots started soon after the voting ended. We are awaiting counts from different centres all over the country. It may take three or four days to get the final results."

Fourteen representatives equally split into "general" and "group" seats will be elected for a three-year term. The elected members will subsequently nominate a vice president. The attorney general will be ex-officio president.

Three panels -Awami League backed Sammilito Ainjibi Somonnay Parishad (combined lawyers coordination council), BNP-supported Jatiyabadi Ainjibi Oikya Parishad (united nationalist lawyers council) and Ainjibi Oikya Panel (united lawyers panel) are contesting the polls.

Barrister Shafique Ahmed leads the AL-backed group of 14 candidates: Abdul Baset Mazumdar, Syed Rezaur Rahman, PC Guho, ZI Khan Panna, M Kamrul Islam, M Enayetur Rahim, Mohammad Israfil, AHM Khalekuzzaman, AM Anwarul Kabir, M Misbah Uddin Siraj, MA Hakim Hawlader, M Yahya and M Al-Mahud.

ABM Nurul Islam heads the BNP-backed group, also fielding 14 aspirants: M Helauddin Molla, Amatunnur Begum Panna, M Shahjada, M Ashrafuzzaman, Shah Ilyas Ratan, Shihab Uddin Mahmud, Khan Farhad Uddin Ahmed, M Nazrul Islam, Syed Salah Uddin Ahmed, M Kaimul Haque, Abdul Malek, M Maniruzzaman and Badrul Islam.

Ainjibi Oikya Panel has fielded just six candidates namely Dr Belal Hossain Joy, KM Jabir, Nittya Gopal Devnath, Sheikh Akhterul Islam, M Kawserul Alam Chowdhury and Mohammad Nurul Amin.

The last Bar Council election was held four years ago in May 2004.