UK regulator ‘closely monitoring’ situation
The UK bar regulator is “closely monitoring” the situation in Bangladesh, where civil unrest is jeopardising the ability of aspiring barristers to sit their exams.
With the country’s Prime Minister resigning and fleeing in the wake of huge student protests, many assessment centres, typically those run by the British Council, have temporarily closed.
Despite attending UK law schools, some students choose to take their exams in their home country. These are typically students who are retaking their exams and have already returned home after finishing their courses in the UK.
“As there is continuing unrest in the country, we are closely monitoring the situation for candidates intending to sit the centralised exams on Monday 19, Wednesday 21 and Friday 23 August in either Dhaka or Chittagong,” the Bar Standards Board said in a statement. “We intend to make an announcement about this on Monday 12 August. If the exams cannot proceed, the next available examination session for students affected by this suspension is likely to be December 2024.”
The statement continued:
“Some students were also due to take resits in Bangladesh for some of their provider-set exams in August, and they will also be affected by this situation. We are continuing to monitor the situation in conjunction with the five Bar training providers who have students currently located in Bangladesh.”
The BSB said law schools are in contract with the affected students and what alternative arrangements are available to them. It also urged students affected to contact their course providers through the usual channels, where possible, if they have any questions.
Uncertainty over whether the exams will go ahead comes a year after the BSB took the decision to issue a worldwide ban on aspiring barristers sitting their assessments online amid allegations of “malpractice”.
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