BPMCA Breakthrough: Mohiuddin, Moazzem Elected in First-Ever Polls
For the first time in its 15-year history, the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) has held a direct election to select its leadership, electing Dr. Sheikh Mohiuddin of Ad-Din Women’s Medical College as President and Professor Dr. Moazzem Hossain, Chairman of East-West Medical College, as General Secretary.
Although BPMCA was founded with the provision for leadership elections every two years, the association had previously relied on a system of appointment rather than democratic selection. This week’s election marked a historic shift toward institutional democracy within the organization representing the country’s private medical colleges.
The voting took place on Wednesday, July 16, at the SIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka. Members cast their ballots between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, electing new office bearers to 21 key posts of the BPMCA Executive Committee.
The results were announced at 10:00 PM by a three-member election board headed by Dr. Md. Moinul Ahsan. Dr. Muhammad Abdus Sabur from Bashundhara Ad-Din Medical College in Dhaka was elected as the Organizational Secretary from the Mohiuddin-Mukit panel.
In the presidential race, Dr. Sheikh Mohiuddin of Ad-Din Women’s Medical College in Dhaka contested against Afroza Khanam Rita, Chairperson of Munno Medical College, from the Afroza-Moazzem panel. For the General Secretary post, Professor Dr. M.A. Mukit of North Bengal Medical College, Sirajganj, faced off against Professor Dr. Md. Moazzem Hossain of East-West Medical College.
A total of 21 executive committee positions were contested, including one president, one general secretary, five vice presidents, four joint secretaries, one treasurer, one organizational secretary, three divisional organizational secretaries, one legal affairs secretary, one education, culture, and social welfare secretary, and three executive members. Out of 110 eligible votes, 92 were cast.
The BPMCA leadership election is seen as a step forward for greater transparency and democratic accountability within the country’s private medical education sector.
