Uncertainty looms over the upcoming BCB election

Initially, the deadline for submitting councillor names was set for September 17. Later, it was extended to September 19 and 22. Even then, the Election Commission did not publish the draft voter list. By the evening, names of councillors from Category-1 districts and divisions were submitted. Ignoring the rules, councillor names are still being accepted, which has completely violated the election schedule.

According to the official schedule, the final deadline for submitting councillor names was September 22 at 6 p.m., later extended until 9 p.m. Yet the names were not submitted. Although the full voter list was supposed to be published at 10 a.m. today, it has not been released. On Monday, the final meeting of the current board of directors, chaired by Aminul Islam Bulbul, was held. The meeting, originally scheduled for 6 p.m., started at 9 p.m. and continued until midnight. Still, no decision was reached, raising doubts about whether the election will actually take place on October 6.

A legal complication arose over the district and divisional councillor names on Monday. In a letter dated September 18, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul canceled the councillor list submitted earlier and ordered that the names sent by the government-appointed ad hoc committee be finalized. In response, district, divisional, and club officials filed a petition. At first, the High Court suspended the validity of Bulbul’s letter for 15 days. However, just an hour and a half later, the Chamber Court issued a ruling in favor of Bulbul’s letter.