BNP-backed panel wins bar council polls

Dhaka: The BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Parishad (JAOP) has swept the Supreme Court Bar Association election against the ruling Awami League-backed panel in Supreme Court Bar Council election of 2015-16.
Jatiyatabadi Oikya Panel members Khandakar Mahbub Hossain has been re-elected as president of the council and AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon elected as general secretary.
Chief election Commissioner Advocate Harun Aur Rashid announced the winners at about 7:30am on Tuesday.
The two-day election held on Sunday and Monday.
A total of 31 candidates contested in the election for 14 posts of the executive members of the Bar Council.
The JAOP has got nine posts and Awami League-backed Shammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad has secured five posts.
The winners from BNP-Jamaat backed panel JAOP are ASM Mokter Kabir Khan as vice president, Shawkat Ara Begum Dulalee as treasurer, Mazedul Islam Patwary Ujjal as assistant secretary and Mirza Al Mahmood, Anowarul Islam Shaheen, Jasim Sarker and Shamima Sultana Dipti as executive members.
Awami League-backed SASP panel members Abud Khayer elected as vice president, Dilower Mostafa Chowdhury Modhu as assistant secretary and AKM Daudur Rahman Mina, Omit Das Gupta and Mohiuddin Shamim win the post of executive members.
Out of 4,529 lawyers of the apex court 4,355 lawyers exercised their franchise.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon said, ‘The newly-elected committee will work for democracy, human rights and rule of law.’
The responsibilities of the association will be handed over to freshly elected committee on 5 April.