BSBRA election finally set for tomorrow after legal deadlock

The long-delayed election of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA) will finally be held tomorrow (4 July, 2026), ending months of legal disputes over the eligibility of former president Amzad Hossain Chowdhury, whose candidature was ultimately rejected on loan default grounds.

Voting is scheduled from 9am to 1pm at the Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View. Election Board Chairman Md Aftab Uddin Chowdhury said all preparations have been completed.

The election had remained stalled for months following a legal battle over Amzad's nomination after the Election Board declared him a loan defaulter based on a Credit Information Bureau (CIB) report issued by Bangladesh Bank.

The board cancelled his nomination on 30 April. Amzad appealed the decision before the Election Appeal Board, which upheld the cancellation after reviewing the Bangladesh Bank report. The decision was formally communicated to him on 10 May.

He subsequently challenged the decision before the High Court, which initially declared his candidature valid and allowed him to contest the election.

The Election Board then moved the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, which on 3 June stayed the High Court order and suspended all election activities until 8 June.

Following a hearing before the full bench on 8 June, the Appellate Division declared Amzad's candidature invalid and allowed the election process to resume.

In a final attempt to contest the election, Amzad filed a supplementary writ petition seeking to suspend the Election Board's order issued on 25 May and the election notice published on 29 June. The High Court dismissed the petition on Thursday, removing the last legal obstacle to Saturday's polls.

The BSBRA election was originally scheduled for 25 October last year.

However, the election could not be held after the Election Board resigned on 15 September, citing its inability to discharge its duties independently due to what it described as undue interference by Amzad.

According to BSBRA sources, Amzad assumed the association's presidency on 3 November 2025 in violation of its constitution.

Amid allegations of organisational irregularities, the Ministry of Commerce removed him from the post and, on 5 February this year, appointed Abu Safayat Muhammad Shahe Dul Islam, secretary of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, as administrator of the association.

After taking charge, the administrator formed a new Election Board and Election Appeal Board on 1 March and announced the election schedule the following day, paving the way for the long-awaited polls.

Amzad is the younger brother of BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury, who was elected member of parliament from the Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda) constituency in the 13th national election. However, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court recently declared Aslam's parliamentary candidacy invalid over loan default.

Despite the allegations of loan default, Amzad was elected a director of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and was later elected vice-president of the century-old trade body last month.