In Shariatpur, collection of nomination papers was obstructed, lawyer was accused of assault

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BNP-backed lawyers have been accused of obstructing the collection of nomination papers and insulting a senior lawyer in the Shariatpur District Bar Association elections. The incident took place at the District Lawyers Association building on Sunday afternoon.

Senior lawyer and former president of Nationalist Lawyers Forum Muslim Uddin Khan has been insulted. A section of lawyers alleged that such activities were done to make the nominees of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum win unopposed.

Apart from this, allegations have been made against Election Commissioner Rubayet Anwar of beating lawyer Murad Hossain by entering his chamber.

According to the sources of the District Lawyers Association, the Election Commission appointed by the Lawyers Association announced the schedule on April 2. Polling on April 25. Sunday was the day for collecting and submitting the nomination papers of the candidates. Nomination papers of the candidates are sold from 11 am in the hall on the ground floor of the Bar Association building. BNP-backed lawyers took position in front of the door of the hall. And BNP leaders-activists from different levels took a position in front of the Lawyers Association building. Muslim Uddin Khan, the former president of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum, went to collect the nomination papers ignoring the obstacles of the BNP supporters around one in the morning. He is currently the district level leader of NCP. When he went to the door of the hall to collect the nomination papers, he was not allowed to enter. At one stage he was assaulted and kicked out from there.

Muslim Uddin Khan told Prothom Alo, “I am a senior lawyer. I wanted to contest for the post of president. When I went to collect the nomination papers, I was first stopped. BNP supporters physically assaulted me when I asked why I was being blocked. I was once involved in BNP politics, left BNP a few months ago because of their non-politicism. Now I do NCP politics. Because of this, I am not allowed to contest the election.

Murad Hossain, a member of the central committee of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh Lawyers Association, was sitting in his chamber preparing to collect nomination papers to run for the post of vice president. It was alleged that Election Commissioner Rubayet Anwar entered the chamber around 11 am and beat him up.

Murad Hossain complained, “I have been engaged in the legal profession for a long time. I have been elected to various positions in the Bar Association and have led it at various times. I have never faced such behavior. A lawyer and he is the Honorable Election Commissioner. I never imagined that he would enter the chamber like this and beat me up.”

When asked about the allegations, Rubayet Anwar told Prothom Alo, “The allegations against me are not correct. I was stationed in the hall to sell nomination papers. I did not enter any lawyer’s room. I cannot say why he made such a complaint.

15 Posts of Executive Committee of Bar Association. Elections are to be held for these positions. As opposed to 15 posts, it has been alleged that no one other than BNP-backed lawyers was allowed to collect nomination papers. Leaders and lawyers of the People’s Rights Council and NCP criticized it on social media.

Some district level leaders of BNP were asked about this. None of them agreed to comment on this. On condition of anonymity, a top district level leader told Prothom Alo, ‘It is wise to avoid what happened. If the lawyers do not come to collect the nomination papers for the election, then it is not our responsibility to call them and let them hold the election.

Chief Election Commissioner Shahadat Hossain told Prothom Alo, “We sold nomination papers from 11 am to 2 am. Those who came to collect nomination papers, have been given to everyone. I do not have any information that anyone inside the association has been prevented from collecting nomination papers. I cannot tell what happened outside.’

Shariatpur Sadar’s Palong Model Police Station officer Shah Alam told Prothom Alo that there was any kind of chaos during the collection of nomination papers for the Lawyers’ Association elections – they do not have such information. Police were deployed at the lawyers’ association and the court premises since morning. No one filed any written complaint with the police.