Bangladesh Sets 35-Year Age Limit for Lawyer Enrolment

The Bangladesh Bar Council has set 35 as the maximum age for enrolment as a lawyer, with the decision scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2030.

Attorney General and Bar Council Chairman Md Ruhul Quddus Kajal disclosed the decision on Tuesday, October 13. He said the council had approved the measure on August 19.

According to the decision, the Bar Council's Legal Education Committee recommended setting a reasonable upper age limit for enrolment as a lawyer in connection with Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal No. 253 of 2014 before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

The committee said an upper age limit would help enhance the dignity and competence of the legal profession, ensure longer-term professional engagement and make the profession more dynamic.

At a meeting on August 6, the committee proposed setting the maximum enrolment age at 35 and submitted the recommendation to the Bar Council.

After detailed discussions, all members present at the council meeting agreed to set the maximum age at 35. The decision was adopted unanimously, with January 1, 2030, set as the effective date.

Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Kajal said it was taken unanimously in the interests of both lawyers and the country.

He expressed concern that people entering the profession at an advanced age, including those coming from other fields, could contribute to the growing presence of unscrupulous intermediaries in the legal arena.

He also questioned whether the profession should become a destination for people accused of corruption later in life, arguing that the legal profession should be protected from such practices.