SCBA polls: Arrested BNP leader Barrister Kazol

BNP leader Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal

In a development stemming from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election, BNP leader Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal has been arrested by the police in connection with clashes during the vote counting process. The incident occurred following the election held on Wednesday and Thursday for the 2024-25 session of the SCBA.

Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, who was a candidate for the position of general secretary on the BNP-supported panel in the SCBA election, was arrested from Topkhana Road in the city at approximately 7:15 pm on Saturday. BNP's legal affairs secretary, Kaiser Kamal, confirmed the arrest, emphasizing that Kazal was taken into custody after leaving his legal chamber in Topkhana Road.

Azharul Islam, the additional deputy commissioner of Ramna Zone police, revealed that the arrest was made in connection with a case filed over clashes during the vote counting of the SCBA polls. Kazal has been named as an accused in the case.

Violent disruptions and turmoil erupted on Friday morning, a day after the SCBA election, as clashes unfolded between two groups of lawyers during the counting of ballots. Assistant attorney general Md Saifur Rahman Siddique subsequently filed a case with Shahbagh police station, alleging an attempt to murder him. Lawyer Nahid Sultana Juthi, wife of Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, was identified as the prime accused, with Kazal listed as the number two accused in the case.

In response to the filed case, the police have initiated actions, arresting five individuals, including assistant attorney general Kazi Bashir Ahmed. The court granted a five-day remand for each of the arrestees, who include Osman Chowdhury, Hasanuzzaman, Toriqul Islam, and Enamul Haque.

Despite attempts, Nahid Sultana Juthi has evaded arrest, with the police reportedly conducting multiple raids at her residence.

Prior to his arrest, Kazal released a statement alleging that the clashes were instigated between the supporters of Awami League-backed candidates Shah Manjurul Hauque and Nahid Sultana Juthi. He further claimed that he, along with three other leaders from the BNP-backed panel, was accused in the case. Notably, Osman Chowdhury, one of the accused, has already been apprehended, while the residences of the others have been raided.

The arrest of Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal and the subsequent legal proceedings shed light on the contentious aftermath of the SCBA election, underscoring the challenges and tensions within the legal fraternity. The developments in the coming days will likely further unfold the intricacies surrounding the clashes and the allegations made by various parties involved.