Silencing the Legal Profession: Escalating Intimidation, Exclusion, and Obstruction of Bar Associations Election in Bangladesh

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) documented data of irregularities of bar association elections held across Bangladesh between 17 February and 30 May 2026 under the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government reveal a deeply concerning pattern of alleged political exclusion, intimidation, and suppression targeting lawyers perceived to be affiliated with the Bangladesh Awami League and its allied professional groups. The reported incidents were neither isolated nor sporadic; rather, they reflected a broader and increasingly systematic trend affecting bar associations nationwide, including the highly significant Supreme Court Bar Association.