e-CAB Election Suspended 48 Hours Before Voting
The election for the Executive Committee of the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) for the 2025–27 term has been suspended just 48 hours before the scheduled voting.
According to the election schedule, the voting was set to take place on July 26 following the revision of the voter list in the second phase. However, on Thursday, July 24, the Election Board issued a letter suspending the voting for an indefinite period.
The suspension came after the High Court issued a six-month stay order in response to a writ petition. The directive was signed by Election Board Chairman Torofdar Sohel Rahman, along with board members Dr. Shahadat Hossain and Rezaul Karim.
The High Court ruling highlights that a petition was filed questioning the legitimacy of the current election and appeal boards by e-CAB’s member number 307, listing the Ministry of Commerce as a respondent. The petitioner challenged the legality of the revised election schedule issued on March 3, while retaining the original schedule announced on December 17 last year. The petition alleged that this violated trade organization laws and sought a stay on the election process.
Consequently, the court ordered a six-month suspension on vote casting and asked the relevant parties to explain by August 19, 2025, why the office order and the election schedule should not be declared void. The respondents include the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Director General of the Trade Organization, e-CAB Administrator, Senior Assistant Secretary of Trade Organization-1, and the Chairmen of both the Election Board and the Election Appeal Board.
According to sources, in an effort to restore democratic processes and overcome existing stagnation, an appeal against the High Court's order may be filed in the Supreme Court.
Notably, another ICT-sector association, ISPAB, recently returned to regular democratic operations through a successful election. Similarly, BCS has been freed from administrative oversight via an elected board. However, BASIS—the most prominent association in the sector—remains stagnant due to a prolonged electoral impasse.
