BCS Ballot or Bypass? Uncertainty Looms Over Upcoming Executive Election
The biennial executive committee (EC) election for the 2025–27 term of the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), the country’s first and largest trade association for technology entrepreneurs, is scheduled to be held on June 21 at the Shaheed Abu Sayeed International Conference Centre, located on Minto Road in Dhaka. However, uncertainty looms over whether the vote will ultimately proceed to the ballot box, given the number of candidates and potential withdrawals.
Only eight nominations have been submitted for the seven-member EC, raising the possibility that the election may not require voting at all if any candidate withdraws. The list of candidates includes Mohammad Zahidul Islam, Managing Director of Smart Technologies Ltd.; Mohammad Monirul Islam of Computer City Technologies Ltd.; Md. Nazrul Islam Hazarie, proprietor of Welkin Computers; Md. Wahedul Islam Dipu of Landmark Computers; Md. Iqbal Hossain of Jaji; Abul Hasan of HM Computers; Md. Ahsanul Islam of PG Garden; and Md. Anisur Rahman of New Universal Computers.
With each nomination form priced at BDT 80,000, the BCS Election Commission has generated BDT 640,000 from the applications. However, election expenditures are expected to exceed this amount, prompting speculation that the process might be resolved before reaching the ballot stage. The final decision depends on the withdrawal deadline of 5:00 PM on May 31. According to the schedule, candidates can withdraw their nominations starting May 29.
If any candidate withdraws before the publication of the list of valid candidates on May 28, the BCS membership will know the names of the next EC leaders by June 1—eliminating the need for formal voting. In that case, the 1,530 eligible voters out of BCS's 3,091 general members may not have to cast their votes at all.
The BCS Election Board is chaired by Sharif Raihan Kabir, Deputy Secretary (FTA-1, FTA Division) of the Ministry of Commerce, with members Sandeep Kumar Sarker, Deputy Secretary (ABA-1, IIT Division), and Md. Sirajul Islam, Assistant Commercial Counselor (Deputy Registrar, FTA Division).
The official direction of the voting process on Wednesday will hinge on the scrutiny and assessment conducted by this election board. Whether the election will proceed with voting for a lone contest or avoid the competition altogether through consensus-based withdrawals remains to be seen.
It is worth noting that the current election comes after a period of turmoil within the organization. Merely four months after being elected for the 2024–26 term, the BCS Executive Committee resigned en masse. An emergency general meeting subsequently formed a convening committee. However, due to procedural conflicts with the Trade Organization Act, 2022, and the Trade Organization Rules, 1994, the Ministry of Commerce eventually appointed a government administrator.
This administrative transition was triggered by a letter signed by 350 BCS members on September 2, 2023, demanding an emergency meeting, which was held accordingly. With unanimous support, Mohammad Zahidul Islam—former EC director (2022–24) and Managing Director of Smart Technologies BD Ltd.—was appointed as the convenor. The meeting was chaired by former BCS President Dr. Md. Sabur Khan.
However, in the absence of a legal basis for the formation of a convening committee under the relevant laws and the organization’s constitution, the Ministry of Commerce appointed Joint Secretary Nahid Afroze as the Administrator of BCS under Section 17 of the Trade Organization Act 2022. She subsequently formed the current election commission and initiated the electoral process.
Meanwhile, as none of the 11 BCS branch committees across the country have resigned, elections for these branches are set to be held on May 26 of next year, in compliance with the expiration of their respective terms.
