Brussels, April 15, 2025 — The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) has expressed deep concern over the reported obstruction of democratic rights during the 2025 Chattogram District Bar Association election in Bangladesh.
In a letter addressed to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Honorable Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, CCBE President Thierry Wickers highlighted allegations that lawyers affiliated with the Awami League and other left-leaning parties were prevented from submitting nomination forms on April 10. The obstruction was reportedly carried out by a group of lawyers affiliated with the BNP-Jamaat coalition, leading to an uncontested election of BNP-Jamaat-backed candidates to all 21 posts.
The CCBE raised alarm over what it described as a “deliberate exclusion” and “lack of fairness” in the electoral process, calling the incident part of a wider trend of intimidation and politicization within the legal profession in Bangladesh. The letter noted that similar concerns had been reported across several bar associations, including the Bangladesh Bar Council, Dhaka Bar Association, Supreme Court Bar Association, and Khulna Bar Association.
Additionally, the resignation of the previous Chattogram election commission under alleged threats and coercion was cited as part of the deteriorating conditions for legal professionals in the country.
The CCBE emphasized the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, particularly regarding the rights to freedom of association, fair elections, and protection from intimidation. It urged Bangladeshi authorities to take immediate steps to ensure that lawyers’ democratic rights are respected and that they can participate in bar elections without fear or obstruction.
“In view of the above,” Wickers wrote, “the CCBE respectfully urges the authorities in Bangladesh to take all the necessary measures to ensure that the democratic rights of lawyers to freely participate in bar elections are fully respected and restored.”
The CCBE, representing more than one million lawyers from 46 countries, reiterated its call for upholding the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession in Bangladesh.