After failing to hold the election within the stipulated 120 days, government-appointed administrator to the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), Muhammad Mehedi Hasan, resigned on Sunday, leaving basic services such as issuing membership certificates by the association in limbo.

This follows the resignations of several top committee members and the departure of key secretariat officials from the country's leading ICT trade body.

Following the political changeover in August last year, then BASIS president Russell T Ahmed stepped down in October, citing safety concerns.

The commerce ministry subsequently appointed Hasan, an additional secretary of the ICT Division and executive director of the Bangladesh Computer Council, as administrator of BASIS.

In his resignation letter to the commerce secretary, Hasan cited his upcoming post-retirement leave (PRL), beginning on July 20, 2025.

He said that it would not be feasible for him to complete the election process and hand over responsibilities to an elected board within the remaining time.

Hasan took charge on December 5, 2024. After assuming office, he formed a 15-member support committee comprising BASIS members to assist with administrative work.

Hasan said he and his committee focused on essential tasks such as membership reforms, constitutional amendments, and forensic and membership audits.

They also worked to rebuild relationships with development partners and resume member services.

But BASIS failed to announce an election schedule within the deadline or hand over charge to elected leaders.

Although the Election Board and Election Appeal Board were eventually formed on April 16, 2025, the election process could not begin due to internal disruptions.

These included the resignation of four senior support committee members on December 9, 2024, and the departure of several secretariat officials, including the secretary, joint secretary, and assistant secretary.

A proposed constitutional reform, scheduled for a special general meeting, was also postponed after members demanded further revisions.

On April 30, 2025, the last senior member and chair of the support committee, Rafael Kabir, stepped down, prompting the administrator to dissolve the committee entirely on May 1.

"There is no board, no committee, no senior staff at the Secretariat. Members are not receiving even basic services like membership certificates," said a BASIS Secretariat official. "All official activities have come to a halt."

Fahim Mashroor, a former BASIS president and industry leader, said, "For the last five months, BASIS has been under unelected management. The ministry has already formed the election board. They must hold the election by June."

"Without a new elected body, the BASIS crisis will not end, and the industry will continue to suffer."

"BASIS's development activities have been stalled since August. If any reforms are needed, it is the elected board's job to carry them out. We urgently need elected representatives," he added.

For comment, The Daily Star approached Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, but to no avail.