The election to select a new committee during the 52nd annual general meeting (triennial) of Bangladesh Scouts was suspended on Saturday midway amid calls of irregularity.
Insiders alleged that the leadership was decided to be chosen through compromise, not by election.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin had earlier announced the inauguration of the annual general meeting of the National Council.
Several members present at the meeting said that the outgoing president of Bangladesh Scouts Md Abul Kalam Azad informed them about suspending the election, elaborating that they were thinking of selecting a new committee via compromise, rather than by election.
Moreover, the decision was not formalized, and many voters had left the venue by then, thus forcing him to adjourn the meeting without holding an election, Azad told the council members and other voters.
Asked, Md Abul Kalam Azad told Dhaka Tribune: "You can ask (chief national commissioner) Mozammel Haque Khan about this. Only he can tell you why the election has been delayed, even though it had started. I cannot say more than that."
Despite several attempts, Dr Mozammel Haque Khan could not be reached for a comment as his number was switched off.
Eight people were contesting for four positions in two panels in this election.
Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts and former commissioner (investigation) of Anti-Corruption Commission Mozammel Haque Khan and current Vice President of the National Committee Prof Najma Shams are contesting for the post of president.
Expressing disappointment as the election process halted abruptly, voters said that the council session started immediately after the inauguration ceremony.
Since it was a triennial council, polling was announced to begin at 2pm.
After the polling process started, the question-and-answer session and various agendas were being discussed when the matter of selecting a president via compromise was raised.
At the conciliation, all the contending candidates of the two panels and some advisers were also present.
A council member present at the meeting, requesting anonymity, said that if there is indeed a compromise, it should be on the basis of unanimous consensus. It is not supposed to happen without any of the eight candidates in the dark about it.
The general members of the organization want to choose their own qualified leaders by exercising voting rights and not by consensus, he added.
It is known that the new date of the suspended meeting has been fixed on July 6.
However, members of the Bangladesh Scouts expressed their apprehension that the issue of selecting new council members via compromise may be undertaken even on that day, rather than through voting.