Just when Bangladesh’s film industry appeared set to end seven years of administrative rule, another legal battle has thrown the long-awaited Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association election into fresh uncertainty.
With two candidates preparing to challenge the cancellation of their nominations in the High Court, fears have resurfaced that the election could once again be postponed.
The latest controversy centres on president candidate Shamsul Alam and vice-president candidate Khorshed Alam Khosru, whose nominations were declared invalid after the Ministry of Commerce published the final list of 40 valid candidates on Monday for the 2026-2028 election. The vote is currently scheduled for 8 August.
Both candidates say they will file separate writ petitions before the High Court by Tuesday, challenging the decision. They argue that the law cited to reject their nominations came into force only in 2025 and should not apply to matters related to previous elections.
They also allege the decision was driven by personal hostility. However, they declined to directly accuse rival presidential candidate Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Uzzal, despite his name surfacing in discussions surrounding the dispute.
Ashraf Uddin Uzzal dismissed as mere rumours allegations that he had a role in the cancellation of the nominations of Khosru and Alam.
“Candidates from both panels submitted nominations for 19 posts, making a total of 38 candidates. Except for those two, the nominations of the remaining 36 candidates have been declared valid. The rest of us, including myself, are busy campaigning. Those whose nominations were cancelled have every right to go to court. That is entirely their matter. I have nothing to comment on it,” he said.
If the court rules in their favour, they acknowledge that the election could once again be suspended, although they stress that the final decision rests entirely with the judiciary.
The prospect of another delay has renewed concerns over an organisation that has struggled to elect a leadership for years. Although the association has traditionally been run by elected committees since its establishment, administrators have managed its affairs for most of the period since 2013, apart from a brief interruption. Many in the industry have long criticised the absence of an effective elected leadership.
The last election was held on 27 July 2019. Since then, repeated legal disputes have prevented another vote.
The crisis largely stemmed from disagreements over the voter list. Under the association’s constitution, producers become eligible to vote four years after one of their films receives censor clearance. However, producers who made multiple films could previously secure additional voting rights through multiple powers of attorney under the aam-mukhtar nama system. Many members challenged the practice for years.
The dispute reached the High Court on the scheduled election day of 21 May 2022. Producer Mohammad Hossain filed a writ petition alleging that multiple individuals had become voters under the same Tax Identification Number (TIN). The court subsequently halted the election, cancelled those voting rights and directed the preparation of a new voter list.
Even after the revised voter list was prepared, disagreements persisted and the election process remained stalled.
In April this year, election officials announced a fresh schedule aimed at ending the deadlock. The revised rules abolished the aam-mukhtar nama system, ensuring that each producer would receive only one vote regardless of the number of films produced. The commission also finalised membership renewal deadlines and published a new voter list.
The election was initially scheduled for 11 July before being rescheduled to 8 August.
Speaking to Times of Bangladesh, Khorshed Alam Khosru said legal disputes had repeatedly prevented elected committees from completing their terms.
“Cases have continued since the 2011-13 committee. We finally held an election in 2019 after overcoming many complications, yet even that committee could not complete its tenure. If this continues, how will the film industry move forward?” he said.
Shamsul Alam questioned why his nomination had been cancelled when the 2019 election had taken place with the approval of Ministry of Commerce officials.
“Later, the same authorities cancelled that election following an application by Zayed Khan. Where was our fault? Why are we facing this again?” he asked.
Asked whether they would seek a stay on the election, Khosru said such a situation could arise if the court ruled in their favour, but stressed that the matter rested entirely with the judiciary.
The possibility of another postponement has also alarmed other industry leaders.
Bangladesh Film Directors Association President Shaheen Sumon warned that another legal delay would further weaken an already fragile industry.
“Our industry is already vulnerable. Continuous legal battles are pushing it even further backwards. This deadlock must end,” he said.
The coming days may determine far more than the fate of two candidates. Another court-ordered delay would prolong an institutional paralysis that has already lasted seven years, leaving one of the country’s most influential film organisations without stable elected leadership and deepening uncertainty across Bangladesh’s struggling film industry.
