Staff Reporter: Presidential candidate Anamul Ambia has called for the immediate suspension of the upcoming election of the Bangladeshi American Association of Connecticut (BAAC), citing widespread corruption, irregularities, and favoritism. Declaring a boycott of what he described as a ‘rigged election,’ Ambia demanded that the current process be scrapped and replaced with a free, fair, and transparent vote.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, June 26 (local time), Ambia said the BAAC Election Commission has scheduled the vote for June 28, 2025, but that he had received no response to repeated protests over violations of fairness and democratic procedure.
‘This election is nothing more than a blueprint for manipulation,’ said Ambia. ‘I’m not here just as a presidential candidate for BAAC, but as a representative of the people—especially the younger generation who deserve transparency, justice, and real leadership.’
Ambia emphasized that over the past several weeks, he and his team have repeatedly raised serious concerns about the 2025 election process. They have submitted evidence, filed objections with the Election Commission, and made sincere efforts to resolve the issues internally. ‘Unfortunately, our efforts were met with silence, neglect, or vague responses, while the election continues in clear violation of BAAC’s constitution and bylaws,’ he added.
He Despite BAAC’s constitution mandating a 3-member election committee, a 5-member body was appointed on April 13.
Inadequate notice period: The election was announced just three weeks prior, falling short of the 7-week minimum public notice required.
The voter list was released to Ambia on June 11, well after the May 30 deadline, and only after he submitted his nomination — severely limiting his ability to campaign equally.
Commissioner Hassan Khaled Dip’s wife is a candidate in the election, raising serious questions about impartiality.
Breach of confidentiality: On June 22, a candidate publicly disclosed confidential polling information that had still not been officially provided to Ambia as of June 23.
The main polling center, Bangladesh Plaza, is privately owned by rival candidate Tarek Ambia, violating neutrality. Furthermore, Ambia’s own registered voting area is Manchester, but the polling was moved to East Hartford.
Financial opacity: 36 paid voter registrations were missing from the final list, and no proof was provided for the deposit of $17,820 in voter registration fees and $8,950 in candidate nomination fees.
Ambia emphasized, ‘As a candidate, I cannot legitimize such a fraudulent election. Our goal is not just to win, but to uphold democracy, transparency, and the dignity of our community.’
He called on the Election Commission to immediately suspend the election, restore integrity to the process, and begin a new election that fully complies with the BAAC constitution and bylaws.
Ambia also revealed that on June 24, he had filed a petition in court over these issues, and the court has scheduled a hearing for late July. Based on this development and after consultations with his supporters, he announced his formal boycott of the election.
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