EC allows BAIRA election despite earlier barring professional bodies' polls

Election Commission (EC) has permitted the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) to hold its biennial executive committee election, despite a recent restriction on polls of professional bodies ahead of the February 12 national election.

The EC issued a letter on Wednesday, signed by Deputy Secretary Md Monir Hossain, approving BAIRA’s 2026–2028 election on January 17 at Celebrity Hall of the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The approval is conditional on adherence to the electoral code of conduct.

On January 12, the EC barred elections of all professional bodies and organisations before the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum.

The directive was sent to 38 government authorities, aiming to ensure the national polls remain free from outside influence.