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The government has dissolved the current Board of Directors (BoD) of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) and appointed an administrator to oversee the organisation.
In an official order issued on Monday, the trade organisation wing of the commerce ministry appointed its Deputy Secretary, Mutakabbir Ahmed, as the administrator of ATAB.
The decision follows multiple allegations of vote rigging and financial irregularities within the organisation.
According to the ministry's order, the current committee came to power through a manipulated election process.
Also, accusations have surfaced regarding the embezzlement of large sums of money from members and shareholders through a digital platform known as "ATAB Online".
The order also cited public protests and human chains demanding the arrest of the association's president and secretary general over allegations of irregularities.
The ATAB Reform Council had formally applied for the dissolution of the board, calling for reforms to restore discipline and transparency in the organisation.
As per his assignment, the newly appointed administrator will update the voter list and organise a free, fair, and transparent election within 120 days.
Upon completion, he is to hand over responsibilities to the newly elected committee and report to the commerce ministry. Therefore, the dissolution of the current board was carried out under Section 17(1) of the Trade Organisations Act, 2022, the order stated.
rezamumu@gmai.com