Former Atab leaders’ candidacy reinstated, voter list found flawed
FBCCI tribunal also identified significant procedural irregularities in the Appeal Board's handling of the nomination appeals.
Highlights
- FBCCI tribunal restores candidacies of four former Atab leaders
- Final Atab voter list declared unlawful over multiple irregularities
- Appeal Board faulted for procedural and legal violations
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Arbitration Tribunal has overturned key decisions taken by the Election Board and Appeal Board in the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab) election for the 2026-2028 term, reinstating the candidacies of four former office-bearers and declaring the final voter list unlawful.
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In arbitration awards issued yesterday (21 July) in Case Nos 04/2026 and 05/2026, the three-member tribunal found that both the rejection of several nomination papers and the publication of the final voter list were inconsistent with the law and marred by procedural irregularities.
The tribunal was headed by Chairperson Nasrin Begum, with ASM Kamal Uddin and Syed Ahmed serving as members.
The ruling restores the nominations of former Atab president Abdus Salam Aref, former secretary general Afsia Jannat Saleh, former vice-president Ziaur Rahman Khan Rezwan and former deputy secretary general Idris Mia.
According to the award, the Election Board misinterpreted provisions of the Trade Organisations Rules, 2025, when it disqualified the former office-bearers.
The tribunal observed that the previous Atab executive committee had been dissolved by the government under the Trade Organisations Act, 2022, before completing its statutory 24-month tenure, after which an administrator was appointed.
Since the committee had not completed its full tenure, its dissolution could not legally be treated as completion of tenure, the tribunal ruled, making the candidates' disqualification without legal basis.
Reacting to the verdict, Afsia Jannat Saleh told The Business Standard, "We were victims of unlawful measures, and now we have got justice."
She expressed hope that the Atab election would now be held in accordance with the prescribed rules and procedures.
Appeal Board procedures questioned
The tribunal also identified significant procedural irregularities in the Appeal Board's handling of the nomination appeals.
According to the award, only two of the board's three members attended the appeal hearing, yet the final order bore the signature of the absent member. It also found that the official copy of the order incorrectly listed the designations of two board members.
The tribunal said CCTV footage and photographs submitted during the proceedings confirmed the irregularities.
In a separate ruling in Case No 05/2026, the tribunal declared the final voter list published on 12 June 2026 illegal and void.
The award found that the list included representatives of travel agencies whose licences had been cancelled, multiple representatives from the same company and ordinary employees who were ineligible to vote.
At the same time, 46 eligible members were excluded from the voter list, prompting the tribunal to conclude that the list had been prepared in violation of the applicable legal and electoral requirements.
