M Rashidul Hasan has become the new president and Mostafizur Rahman Sohel senior vice president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).

This development follows the resignation of former President Russell T Ahmed and vice-president Iqbal Ahmed Fakhrul Hasan, creating vacancies in both positions.

In an urgent executive committee meeting held on Wednesday, the BASIS Executive Committee (2024-26) voted to elevate Senior Vice President M Rashidul Hasan to President, Director Md. Mostafizur Rahman Sohel to Senior Vice President, and Director M Asif Rahman to Vice President (Finance).

In its 332nd meeting, the committee members collectively decided to proceed without co-opting any external members, intending to manage all functions directly by the elected Executive Committee members.

Earlier on October 20, 2024, BASIS had initiated an automated voting process among members to gauge opinions on two key propositions: 1) whether to undertake necessary reforms to the constitution and subsequently hold mid-term elections, or 2) whether the entire Executive Committee should resign.

Out of 594 participating members, 77.27 percent voted in favor of completing reforms in collaboration with members and subsequently organizing elections, while 22.72 percent supported an immediate resignation by the current executive committee.

Earlier, BASIS president Russell T Ahmed has resigned from his post citing personal reasons amidst controversy over his alleged links to the Awami League.

“For my role as BASIS president alone, several false cases have recently been filed against me. However, I have not received any written complaints from the board so far. For personal reasons, I have decided to resign from my position as director of BASIS,” Russell T Ahmed said in a letter addressed to the executive council members of BASIS.

Copies of the letter were also sent to BASIS Secretary Hasim Ahmed and Commerce Secretary Selim Uddin. In addition to Russell T Ahmed, directors Biplob Ghosh Rahul and Syed Abdullah Jayed have been named in a case related to the murder of an individual named Altaf Hossain.

Complainant Ashraf Ali filed the case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on 15 September. The case also accused the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former ICT state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak. Another former BASIS president, Syed Almas Kabir, was arrested in connection with a murder case.