BNP-Jamaat-backed panel sweeps Dhaka Bar polls

The BNP-Jamaat backed Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya (Blue Panel) swept the elections to the Dhaka Bar Association for the 2014-15 term by bagging 18 posts out of 25, including those of the President and General Secretary. The ruling Awami League-backed Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad (White Panel) secured only six posts, according to the results announced on Friday. The elections were held on Wednesday and Thursday. Advocate Mohsin Ali of Blue Panel was elected President by defeating his rival Advocate Saidur Rahman Manik of the White Panel. Ali also contested for the presidential race last year, but lost. Ali secured 4,388 votes while Manik got 3,190 votes. Blue Panel’s Advocate Mosleh Uddin Jasim was elected General Secretary by defeating his rival, Advocate Mosharraf Hossain of the White Panel, by a small margin of only 10 votes. Jasim bagged 3,626 votes while Hossain 3,316 votes. Among a total of 14,310 voters some 8,175 voters cast their votes in the elections for the 2014-2015 term, the turnout being slightly above 57 percent. A record number of 71 candidates contested the elections to 25 posts this year. Chief Election Commissioner Abdus Sabur told reporters that the results for the post of treasurer would be announced on Saturday after recounting the votes as the White Panel-backed candidate had alleged irregularities in counting. Blue Panel’s Mohammad Shamsuzzaman was also clearly ahead of Makbul Hossain of the White Panel in the post of treasurer. The BNP-Jamaat-backed candidates bagged all the top posts – Rezaul Karim Nizam (Senior Vice-President), Jahir Raihan Jasim (Vice President), Abu Yusuf Sarker (Senior Assistant General Secretary), Arifur Rahman Ranju (Assistant General Secretary), Ahmed Ullah Aman (Library Secretary), Afroja Alam Lucky (Cultural Affairs Secretary) and Shahid Gazi (Office Secretary). Of the 15 Member Secretary posts, the BNP-Jamaat panel got nine posts while the Awami League-backed panel secured the remaining six posts. Last year, too, the pro-BNP, Jamaat panel had won the Dhaka bar polls. They won 13 posts while the pro-Awami League blue panel won 12 posts, including that of the president. – bdnews24.com