Research from primary sources

Our published guides and tools are built from the text of statutes, rules, circulars and judgments, and they cite their sources. Anyone who joins us should expect to work the same way. That means checking the current version of a law, tracking amendments and rules, and being clear about what is verified and what still needs confirmation.

Cross-border by default

We advise clients connected with Bangladesh and with jurisdictions including the UK, the US, the UAE, China, India and Singapore. In practice this means explaining Bangladeshi law to people who do not share its assumptions, working alongside foreign counsel, and dealing with time zones, apostilled documents and the expectations of international clients.

Multilingual work

We publish free insights in English, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic and Spanish. Strong drafting in English and Bangla is central to the work, and other languages are valued. They help us explain the law accurately to clients and readers who are more comfortable in their own language, and to work with documents written in those languages.

Publishing what we know

We publish free insights, court-process guides and practical tools on our website, alongside our advisory and disputes work. Lawyers and staff may help research, draft and review this material. The work builds technical depth, and it teaches how to write about law for a non-specialist international audience without losing accuracy.

a recognised law degree

Article 27(1)(c) of the Order lists the qualifying degrees. For today's applicants the relevant ones are a degree in law from a university in Bangladesh, a bachelor's degree in law from a university outside Bangladesh that the Bar Council recognises, or being a barrister.

the eligibility conditions

Article 27(1) sets five cumulative conditions for admission as an advocate. The applicant must (a) be a citizen of Bangladesh, (b) be at least 21 years old, (c) hold a qualifying law degree or be a barrister, (d) have passed the examination prescribed by the Bar Council, and (e) have paid the enrolment fee and met any other conditions in the Bar Council's rules.

pupillage with a senior advocate

Before being admitted as an advocate, a law graduate must serve a pupillage, often called an apprenticeship. Rule 60(1) of the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Rules 1972 requires training 'regularly for a continuous period of six months as a pupil' in the chamber of an advocate who has practised for not less than ten years.

the Bar Council enrolment examination

The examination under Article 27(1)(d) has three stages, each of which must be passed in turn: a preliminary multiple-choice (MCQ) test, a written examination and a viva voce (oral) examination. The written and viva stages are set by Rules 60A to 60C of the Bar Council Rules.

enrolment and early practice in the subordinate courts

A candidate who passes all three stages pays the enrolment fee prescribed under Article 22, is entered on the roll and receives a certificate of enrolment. The fee is set by the Bar Council and may change, so check the current schedule.

permission to practise in the High Court Division

Enrolment as an advocate does not on its own give a right of audience in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. It requires separate permission.

the Appellate Division, Advocates-on-Record and Senior Advocates

Rights of audience in the Appellate Division are granted by the Court itself under Order IV of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (Appellate Division) Rules 1988.

Under rule 3, an applicant must normally (a) have been enrolled as an advocate of the High Court Division for at least five years, (b) hold a Bar Council certificate confirming that enrolment, and (c) be certified by High Court Division judges as fit and proper to appear before the Appellate Division.