Ministry of Commerce orders formation of new voter list and 7-member committee
The Ministry of Commerce has canceled the election schedule for the 2026-2028 term of BASIS and ordered new preparations, a press release said.
The directive of the Ministry of Commerce published on September 3 has called for the formation of a 7-member committee to update the voter list and verify members.
This important decision came after the publication of the final candidate list on September 2, which will ensure electoral transparency.
Pre-announced schedule for BASIS elections canceled
There have been major changes in the activities centered on the election of the Board of Directors of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) for the 2026-2028 term. The Ministry of Commerce has announced the cancellation of the previous election schedule announced on June 30, 2026.
The decision was issued in a memorandum signed by Chowdhury Samia Yasmin, Deputy Secretary of the Commerce Organization-2 Branch of the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday, September 3. The memorandum mentioned that initiatives have been taken to re-evaluate the membership list and include new members in order to make the election free, fair and transparent for all levels of software and cyber organizations. To complete this process smoothly, a 7-member special support committee will be formed with BASIS members in consultation with the ministry.
Earlier, on Wednesday, September 2, the Election Board had published the final candidate list in the third phase. But there was strong dissatisfaction among the general members concerned about the objectivity of the membership list, representation of genuine ICT entrepreneurs and inconsistencies in the voter list. As a result, a drastic decision was taken to postpone the election the day after the publication of the final list in order to ensure a competitive and acceptable board.
According to IT experts concerned, once the creation of a transparent database and revision of the voter list are completed through the supporting committee, a new schedule will be announced very soon, which will further strengthen the confidence of the entire technology industry.
Two presidential candidates in BASIS vote; three dropped out.
