BPAMEA polls halted three days before voting

The Ministry of Commerce has suspended the 2026-2028 election of the Bangladesh Packaging and Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPAMEA), just three days before voting, following allegations of violations of the Trade Organisations Act and its regulations.

The directive was issued on Tuesday (July 28) by the Trade Organisation-2 Wing of the Ministry of Commerce, halting the election process until further notice.

As part of the election process, six vice presidents and 15 directors had already been elected unopposed to the 27-member board. Voting was scheduled for Saturday to elect the association's president and five directors representing the Chattogram region.

The presidential race was set to be contested between incumbent BPAMEA President and Adji Trims Managing Director Md Shahriar and Britannia Label BD Ltd Managing Director Jamil Ahmed. While Jamil contested as an independent candidate, most of the remaining candidates were nominated under the Oikya Parishad panel.

According to association sources, presidential candidate Jamil Ahmed and director Mohammad Belal separately filed complaints with the Director General of Trade Organizations on July 7, alleging that several candidates had been declared eligible despite failing to meet the requirements of the Trade Organizations Rules.

The complaints argued that individuals who had served two consecutive terms on the board were ineligible to contest the next election. They alleged that incumbent President Md Shahriar and second vice president candidate Md Moniruzzaman Molla had been allowed to contest in violation of that provision. The complaints also claimed that loan defaulters had been included in the list of eligible candidates.

The allegations were first rejected by the Election Board and later dismissed by the Appeal Board, which upheld the validity of the nominations of the disputed candidates.

Election-related sources said the disputed provisions were introduced through a government notification issued in May last year and did not apply retrospectively to previous terms, which was why the Appeal Board rejected the complaints.

Following a hearing, however, the Ministry of Commerce advised the complainants to place the matter before the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Arbitration Tribunal. It also ordered that the BPAMEA election remain suspended until the tribunal resolves the dispute.

Reacting to the decision, presidential candidate Md Shahriar alleged that a section of stakeholders was attempting to derail the election at a time when the country's business community was already facing significant challenges.

He further claimed that candidates accused in the complaints were not given an opportunity to defend themselves during the ministry's hearing. He also alleged that the matter was referred to the FBCCI Arbitration Tribunal without making the concerned candidates parties to the proceedings or seeking their statements.

Shahriar said the association would consult legal experts before deciding its next course of action. Reaffirming his support for a free, fair and participatory election, he urged all stakeholders to respect the democratic process and work toward a credible resolution of the dispute.