BNP-Backed Blue Panel Sweeps SCBA Elections Amid Low Turnout

The BNP-backed Jatiotabadi Ainjibi Oikya panel (Blue Panel) has secured a landslide victory in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections for the 2026-2027 term, winning 13 out of 14 executive posts.

Retired Justice Miftah Uddin Choudhury, convenor of the election sub-committee, announced the results late Thursday night. AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Mohammad Ali were elected president and secretary, respectively. The pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Green Panel secured the remaining position, with Md Azim Uddin Patwari elected as a member.

The Blue Panel claimed all other major leadership roles: Vice-Presidents: Md Magfur Rahman Sheikh and Md Shahjahan, Treasurer: Md Ziaur Rahman, Assistant Secretaries: Maksud Ullah and Md Shamsul Islam Mukul, Executive Members: HM Shanjid Siddique, AKM Azad Hossain, Md Kabir Hossain, Md Tipu Sultan, Md Zia Uddin Mia, and Wahid Afroz Chowdhury.

Voting took place on May 13 and 14. Despite a record voter list, participation was noticeably thin. Out of 11,097 eligible voters, only 4,048 (36.48%) cast their ballots.

Chief Election Commissioner Miftah Uddin attributed the drop to a shift in the election atmosphere. While lacking the festive mood of previous years, he noted that the polls concluded peacefully, avoiding the chaos and clashes that plagued recent Bar elections.

The election was preceded by significant controversy when over 40 Awami League-aligned candidates were disqualified before voting began.

The barred lawyers argued their candidacies were scrapped unlawfully on instructions from "higher authorities," without open scrutiny or show-cause notices, calling the move a violation of the Bar Association’s constitution.

Conversely, BNP-backed lawyers stated the disqualifications followed a resolution passed at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). The decision was reportedly driven by demands from "July warriors" and fellow advocates to exclude Awami League affiliates from the polls.

In the previous 2024 elections, the then-ruling Awami League-backed panel dominated the SCBA, winning 10 positions compared to the BNP panel’s four.