Published: 12:33 AM, 17 April 2026
Bar Council elections postponed over fuel crisis
NCP blames BNP for manipulating polls
The elections of the Bangladesh Bar Council, the regulatory and supervisory body for lawyers, have been postponed. This information was announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Earlier, according to the declared schedule, the Bar Council election was supposed to be held on 19 May 2026.
The press release was published on 15 April 2026, on the Bar Council's website. It stated that in an emergency meeting held yesterday at the Bar Council building, the members decided to postpone the elections. However, lawyers representing the National Citizens Party (NCP) have complained that Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is abusing power to manipulate the Bar Council polls. NCP lawyer Jahirul Islam Musa put forward this allegation on Thursday on the High Court premises while answering questions from journalists.
The decision was taken due to concerns that election-related activities and campaigning might be disrupted because of the severe fuel crisis across the country.
The press release further stated that the decision to postpone the elections was taken considering requests from various bar associations across the country, including the Supreme Court Bar Association, Dhaka Bar Association, and Chattogram District Bar Association.
The election for Bar Council members was scheduled to be held on 19 May for seven general seats and seven regional seats.
Bar Council elections are held every three years. Voting takes place for 14 positions. Of these, seven members are elected from general seats, and another seven are elected-one each-from members of seven region-based bar associations.
The Vice Chairman of the Bar Council is elected by votes of the 14 directly elected members. The Attorney General serves as the Chairman of the Council by virtue of the position.
