Change in BASIS Leadership: Elections Scheduled Within Six Months

M. Hasan, President and Mostafizur Rahman, Senior Vice President

BASIS (Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services) has undergone a leadership change following the resignation of Russell T. Ahmed as president and Iqbal Ahmed Fakhrul Hasan from the position of vice president (finance) for personal reasons. Senior Vice President M. Rashidul Hasan has been elected as the new president, while the highest-voted director, Mostafizur Rahman Shohel, has been appointed as the senior vice president. Additionally, Asif Rahman has been elected as the new vice president (finance).

This decision was made during an emergency meeting of the BASIS Executive Council (the 332nd meeting) held on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. The council has decided to continue all operations without co-opting any additional members temporarily, resulting in a reduction of the executive committee from 11 to 9 members, including 5 directors.

It is noteworthy that on October 20, the BASIS Executive Council completed amendments and reforms to the association's constitution. They sought members' opinions on whether to organize an interim election or if the executive committee members should resign collectively. An automated voting initiative was taken, and among 594 participating members, 77.27% favored completing the reform work with the members' involvement before organizing elections, while 22.72% supported the immediate resignation of the current executive committee.

Based on the members' feedback, the current executive council has agreed to transfer responsibilities through an election within the next six months, ensuring the necessary reforms are completed in line with members' interests. BASIS has also announced a potential roadmap for conducting urgent reform work, including amendments to the BASIS constitution, membership audits, and member protections, with elections planned for April 2025 following an AGM/EGM in January 2025.

BASIS leadership has called on members and stakeholders to provide full support to the current executive council in executing essential reforms for the genuine development of the software and IT services sector and to maintain the reputation and image of BASIS both domestically and internationally.