Apprentice lawyers who have qualified at the multiple choice question (MCQ) examinations of Bangladesh Bar Council, organized human chains across the country on Tuesday, demanding a gazette listing them as lawyers on humanitarian grounds during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
The law graduates from Dinajpur, Brahmanbaria, Rajbari, Thakurgaon, Pabna and Madaripur organized the human chains before the Press Clubs in their respective districts at around 11am, report our correspondents.
A person has to pass the MCQ, Written and Viva-Voce examination conducted by the enrolment committee of the Bar Council in order to obtain an Advocateship license from the Bar Council.
The apprentice lawyers said due to the Covid-19 situation, it had become uncertain when the written and viva exams would take place. The candidates had been living an inhuman life as they cannot practice law in the court due to the lack of an Advocateship license.
Therefore, they have demanded that those who have passed the MCQ examination of the Bar Council be given certificates exempting them from written and viva exams and that they be declared lawyers through a special gazette considering the current crisis.
Anwar Hossain Kalu Sarif, who was present at a human chain in Madaripur, said: "We obtained LLB degrees from different universities, including National University, five to ten years ago. But the Bangladesh Bar Council enrolment exam was not held regularly after 2013. Therefore, we cannot practise in court."
"We request Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take the initiative to enlist us as advocates. Around 12,878 candidates passed the multiple choice question (MCQ) examinations of the Bar Council in 2017 and 2020." he added
Our correspondents Faruk Hossain, Dinajpur, Ujjal Chakroborty, Brahmanbaria, Kazi Tanvir, Rajbari, Zakir Mostafiz, Thakurgaon, Emroz Khondoker Bappi, Pabna and Monjur Hossain, Madaripur contributed to this report.
