Pro-BNP panel sweeps SCBA polls snubbing ruling AL

Pro-AL panel suffers yet another setback

Prime News Report

2013-03-15 Time : 10:12:57

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Dhaka: Pro-opposition Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Parishad (JAOP) panel won a landslide victory in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election for the 2013-14 term, bagging 13 out of 14 posts in the fray.

JAOP, supported by the opposition BNP and Jamaat alliance, has won 13 out of the 14 posts at stake, including those of president and general secretary, spelling yet another electoral debacle for the ruling Awami League-backed Sammilita Ainjibi Samannaya Parishad (SASP).

The pro-government panel had lost the previous elections to the top forum of lawyers as well. It only managed to win an executive member post.

Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali and Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan of JAOP were elected president and general secretary, securing 1,669 and 1,676 votes respectively in the election held on Wednesday-Thursday.

Khokan won 1,676 votes while his rival Robiul Alam Budu got 1,369 votes.

Ali is also an advisor to the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Khokan is one of the joint secretaries general of the party.

Ali bagged 1,669 votes while his challenger former SCBA president Abdul Baset Majumder got 1,340 votes.

SCBA sources said of the total 4, 045 voters, some 3, 203 had exercised their right to franchise for electing 14 executives of the SCBA.

Convener of the election sub-committee of the SCBA Nur Hossain Chowdhury announced the results at the SCBA at about 2:15am on Friday.

The BNP-Jamaat backed ‘blue panel’ secured 13 executive posts out of 14 while the ruling Awami League backed ‘white panel’ won only a member post.

Other elected members from the JAOP panel are Waliur Rahman and Md. Shahjahan as vice-president, ABM Rafiqul Haque Talukder Raja and Md. Saifur Rahman as assistant-secretaries, Robiul Karim as treasurer, Begum Anjuman Ara (munni), Fatema Khatun, Md.Waheeduzzaman Sohel, M. Mizanur Rahman Masum, Kamruzzaman Selima and MD. Alamgir Hossain as members from the ‘Blue panel.’

Hosne Ara Babli has been elected as a lone member from the Awami League-backed Sammilita Ainjibi Samannaya Parishad (SASP) panel.

The nearest contestant from SASP panel include Sheikh Awsafur Rahman Bulu and M Sarwar Ahmed (Vice Presidents), Robiul Alam Budu (Secretary), Suja Al Faruk and Mohammad Ali Azam (Assistant Secretaries) and M Amir Hossain (Treasurer).