Anamul Ambia, a candidate for president of the Bangladeshi American Association of Connecticut (BAAC), has announced his boycott of the organization’s upcoming election, citing widespread corruption, irregularities, and favoritism within the process.
Ambia made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday, June 26, where he laid out a series of serious allegations regarding the integrity of the election scheduled for June 28, 2025.
In a written statement (English), Ambia declared the entire process to be a "blueprint for a rigged election," and said his repeated protests to the Election Commission yielded no results. As a result, he felt compelled to inform the Bangladeshi community in Connecticut about what he described as “a deeply compromised election.”
“I stand before you not just as a candidate for president of BAAC, but as a representative of the people – especially our youth – who deserve transparency, justice, and authentic leadership,” said Ambia.
Over the past several weeks, Ambia said, he and his supporters had raised multiple objections about the election process, submitted evidence, and attempted to resolve issues internally. Instead, they were met with silence, neglect, and vague responses — even as the election proceeded in what he described as open violations of BAAC’s bylaws and constitution.
Illegally formed election committee: 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.
Delayed voter list: 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.
Conflict of interest: 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.
Biased polling location: 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.
“Let it be known: This is not surrender – this is a protest,” he said. “A protest for justice, for democracy, and for the future of our community.”
At the press conference, Enamul Ambia's written statement in English was read out in Bengali by Moinul Rahman.