THAKURGAON, April 9, 2026 (BSS) - The election of the Thakurgaon District Bar Association is being held today in a competitive and unprecedented three-panel contest. 

Voting began at 9:00 am and will continue until 4:00 pm, with a total of 263 members expected to cast their votes.

This year's election, 30 candidates are vying for 12 positions. Notably, this is the first time in the association's history that three separate panels are contesting, whereas previous elections traditionally featured only two panels aligned with major political blocs.

Historically, bar association elections were dominated by panels affiliated with the Awami League and BNP. Left-leaning lawyers typically aligned with the pro-Awami panel, while Jamaat-affiliated lawyers joined the pro-BNP bloc. 

However, this year marks a significant shift, as pro-Jamaat lawyers are contesting independently under a separate panel.

The BNP-supported Bangladesh Nationalist Lawyers Forum is the only panel fielding candidates for all 12 positions. Advocate Yusuf Ali is contesting for president, while Advocate Jahangir Alam is running for general secretary from this panel.

From the pro-Jamaat Bangladesh Lawyers Council, Advocate Abdul Gaffar and Advocate Yunus Ali are contesting for president and general secretary. This panel has fielded candidates for 10 out of the 12 available posts.

Despite the multi-cornered contest, all sides have expressed confidence in victory, with observers saying that candidates aligned with the ruling party may hold a favorable position.

Chief Election Commissioner Advocate Sarwar Hossain expressed optimism about the voting process, saying that all necessary preparations have been completed and that the election is expected to take place in a peaceful and festive atmosphere.