Voting underway in Bangladesh Film Artistes Association election

Voting is underway in the biennial election of the Bangladesh Film Artistes Association (BFAA) for the 2026–2028 term, with members casting ballots to elect a new leadership for one of the country's most influential film bodies.

Polling began at 9:00am on Friday (July 3) at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) premises and will continue until 6:00pm, with a one-hour break from 1:00pm to 2:00pm for Jummah prayers and lunch.

A total of 573 registered voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the election.

Authorities have put in place stringent security measures across the BFDC premises to ensure a peaceful voting environment. Alongside police, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and intelligence agencies have been deployed to prevent any untoward incidents.

The election has turned into a straight contest between two full panels.

One panel is led by Arman for president and Rumana Islam Mukti for general secretary. Their panel also features veteran actress Nutan and actor Ilias Kobra for vice-president, Rina Khan for assistant general secretary, Chunnu for organising secretary, MA Parvez Chowdhury Abir for international affairs secretary, Rasel Mia for office and publicity secretary, Maruf Aqib for cultural and sports secretary, and Kamruzzaman Kamal for treasurer.

The rival panel is headed by Shiba Shanu for president and Joy Chowdhury for general secretary. Other key candidates include Rozina and DA Tayeb for vice-president, Subrata for assistant general secretary, Sony Rahman for organising secretary, Poly for international affairs secretary, Mushfiqur Rahman Kakon for cultural and sports secretary, Jacky Alamgir for office and publicity secretary, and Jadu Azad for treasurer.

The election is being supervised by Chief Election Commissioner Khorshed Alam Khosru, assisted by commissioners Kamal Md. Kibria Lipu and BH Nisha.

An appeal board comprising noted film personalities Chhotku Ahmed, Kazi Hayat, and Badal Khandakar has also been formed to address any post-election disputes or legal challenges.

The results are expected after the completion of vote counting later in the evening.