The Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association election is heading for a dramatic finish, with a last-minute compromise between rival panels still being negotiated amid fresh uncertainty over the top posts.
The proposed deal, reached at a Gulshan meeting on Sunday night, would see Khorshed Alam Khosru withdraw from the presidential race and support actor-producer Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Uzzal. In return, Golam Kibria Lipu would support Shamsul Alam for general secretary.
However, the arrangement remains uncertain, with the issue of the “chair” continuing to complicate the compromise.
Producer Mohammad Iqbal, who initiated the talks, confirmed the development to TIMES of Bangladesh. In a video message on Monday evening, he said, “There was a beautiful compromise yesterday, but that compromise fell apart again over the issue of the chair. Nobody really wants what is best for the industry; everyone only wants to make sure the chair remains secure.”
Iqbal then announced his withdrawal from the election.
“I apologise and am withdrawing from this election. Please do not vote for me. I do not want to be part of this kind of election. If there is ever a fair election, I may consider contesting then,” he said.
He added, “I never wanted to contest this election in the first place. I was forced to stand, but I cannot see any future in an election like this. Therefore, I sincerely apologise to all the producers and am withdrawing from the election.”
Iqbal said the compromise meeting took place at around 8pm on Sunday at a friend’s office in Gulshan. Uzzal, Khosru, Shamsul Alam, Lipu, Jahangir Sikder and Md Atikur Rahman Liton attended.
The election is scheduled for 8 August, with 42 candidates from two panels contesting 21 posts. Around 150–160 voters are expected to cast ballots for 19 posts.
The association last held an election on 27 July 2019. Disputes over the voter list, lawsuits and legal complications kept it without an election for seven years. A 21 May 2022 election was suspended by the High Court on polling day after allegations that multiple voters had been included under the same TIN.
A new schedule came in April, alongside a major change to voting rights. Previously, producers could gain additional votes through multiple am-moktarname documents when producing multiple films. Under the new rules, each producer counts as one voter regardless of the number of films produced.
The 2026–28 election was initially scheduled for 11 July but was later postponed to 8 August. The Ministry of Commerce published 40 valid candidates on 5 July.
The election also faced uncertainty after Khosru and Shamsul Alam’s nominations were cancelled. They argued that the provision used came into effect in 2025 and could not lawfully apply to the ongoing election, calling the decision retaliatory. They later regained their candidacies after appealing to the Ministry of Commerce’s Appeal Board.
With the compromise still being worked out and Iqbal now out of the race, the focus has shifted to whether the rival camps can hold the proposed arrangement together before polling day.
