BNP-backed panel sweeps SCBA polls

Pro-BNP lawyers have regained control of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), reports bdnews24.com.
After losing majority to Awami League-backed lawyers for a year, they won eight posts, including that of president and secretary, out of 14 positions in the association's election held on Wednesday and Thursday.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia's adviser Zainul Abedin and the party's joint secretary general AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon have been elected president and secretary respectively of the association.
Ruling Awami League-supported panel got six posts including that of vice president, assistant secretary and treasurer.
The new committee will be at the helm of the association for lawyers working at the country's apex court for the coming year.
Of the association's 5,081 members, 3,928 cast their ballots, making up for more than 77 percent of the votes, said AY Mashiuzzaman, coordinator for the election sub-committee on Friday.
The association's election commission abolished a provision of forming party-supported panels, but the main competition was still between lawyers supporting the Awami League and the BNP.
There has been tough competition for the top roles.
Zainul Abedin became the new president with a margin of 33 votes. He bagged 1,928 votes while Abdul Matin Khasru, former law minister and Awami League law secretary, got 1,895.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon, re-elected to the post of secretary, got 70 more votes than his rival Rabiul Alam Budu, general secretary of Bangabandhu Ainjibi Parishad's Supreme Court branch. Khokon got 1,916 votes against 1,846 votes won by Budu.  
Umme Kulsum Begum and Shamima Sultana Dipti of the BNP-Jamaat panel won as vice president and assistant secretary, respectively.
Others who won from this panel are Ayesha Akhtar, Mousumi Akhtar, Md Hasibur Rahman and Sheikh Tahsin Ali.