The nomination papers of all candidates fielded by the Sachetan Prokousholi Samaj panel have been rejected in the election for the 2027–2028 term of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), scheduled for 12 November 2026.
The panel is led by engineer Sade Uddin Ahmed Sohel and engineer Kazi Khairul Bashar and describes itself as representing forces supportive of the Liberation War. The rejection was disclosed in the nomination scrutiny list published on 17 September, ahead of the election.
According to the published list, the nomination of engineer Sade Uddin Ahmed Sohel, who is contesting for the post of president, has been rejected. The nomination of engineer Kazi Khairul Bashar for honorary general secretary has also been rejected.
Nominations submitted by four candidates for vice-president have likewise been rejected. They are Habib Ahmed Halim Murad, engineer Sheikh Munir Ahmed, engineer Abdul Alim and engineer Mesbahuzzaman Chandan.
The panel said nominations submitted by its other candidates had also been rejected, including those contesting for honorary assistant general secretary. Among them are engineer Moniruzzaman, engineer Monir Uddin, engineer Wahidul Islam and engineer Naim Ahmed.
The decision has prompted strong objections from the leaders of Sachetan Prokousholi Samaj. They said the election of a long-established professional organisation such as the IEB should be conducted through a neutral, transparent, participatory and credible process.
The panel’s leaders alleged that a particular group had been controlling the IEB for more than two years. They claimed that the current election process was part of what they described as a “farce of an election”. These are allegations made by the panel, and the election authorities’ response was not immediately available.
The panel has also raised questions over the voter list prepared for the election. Its leaders alleged that engineers who did not meet the membership criteria set out in the IEB constitution had been included in the electoral roll. They argued that the composition of the voter list therefore required scrutiny to ensure that only eligible members could participate in the election.
The panel further alleged that several engineers had faced harassment, threats and transfers that they regarded as punitive or intended to discourage them from submitting nomination papers.
According to the panel’s leaders, despite these alleged obstacles, candidates nominated by Sachetan Prokousholi Samaj submitted their nomination papers in accordance with the prescribed rules so that they could participate in the election.
They now claim that all of their candidates were rejected during scrutiny without any acceptable or reasonable grounds, or reasons specifically provided for under the IEB constitution. The precise grounds cited by the election commission for rejecting the individual nominations were not immediately known.
The dispute comes at a significant stage of the election process. Nomination scrutiny is a key part of any organisational election, as it determines which candidates meet the requirements to contest. Any subsequent appeal can therefore affect the final list of candidates and the composition of the contest scheduled for November.
The Sachetan Prokousholi Samaj panel has announced that it will appeal against the decision. Its leaders said the appeal process provides an opportunity for the election commission to reconsider the rejected nominations. They expressed hope that their candidates would be allowed to participate after the review.
The IEB election for the 2027–2028 term is scheduled for 12 November 2026. Before polling takes place, the nomination and appeal procedures will need to be completed and the final list of eligible candidates established.
At present, however, the specific reasons behind the rejection of the Sachetan Prokousholi Samaj candidates remain unclear. The election commission’s detailed response to the panel’s allegations was also not immediately available. The outcome of the proposed appeals is therefore expected to determine whether the rejected candidates will be able to remain in the electoral contest.
