Ctg chamber holds election after 13 years amid boycott

The United Business Forum panel has won all 24 director posts in the long-awaited biennial election of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), held yesterday amid a boycott by the only rival Sammilito Byaboshayee Parishad panel.

The election for the CCCI Board 2025-2027 was held after being postponed three times and following legal disputes, including a series of writs and counter-writs filed by business leaders.

The United Business Forum was led by Mohammad Amirul Haque, founding chairman of Seacom Group.

In yesterday’s election, voters elected 18 directors in two categories -- 12 from the Ordinary Member Group and 6 from the Associate Member Group.

The remaining six director candidates from the Town Association and Trade Group categories, including Mohammad Amirul Haque, were already elected uncontested as no other candidates were in the race.

CCCI Election Board Chairman Monowara Begum told The Daily Star that the vote was held in a fair and festive atmosphere, with a turnout of 46.06 percent in the Ordinary Group and 31.98 percent in the Associate Group.

According to CCCI sources, 1,843 of 4,001 Ordinary Group voters and 882 of 2,764 Associate Group voters cast their ballots.

On Friday, a day before the election, the Sammilito Byaboshayee Parishad announced a boycott, calling the election process illegal.

The election for the presidium posts will be held soon, when the 24 elected directors will choose the president, senior vice president and vice president.

ELECTION DELAYED AMID LEGAL DISPUTES

The last direct voting in the chamber election took place in 2013, when the MA Latif-backed Mahbubul Alam-Nurun Newaj Parishad panel won 20 director posts. Since then, the CCCI executive board has been elected uncontested for five consecutive terms until 2023.

Following the political change on August 5, 2024, the CCCI president and all 23 other directors resigned on September 2 amid business protests. Seven days later, the Bangladesh government appointed an administrator to ensure a fair election.

Months later, former CCCI leaders, including Sammilito Byaboshayee Parishad leader SM Nurul Haque, demanded reforms and called for the exclusion of Town Association and Trade Group categories, arguing that their constituent bodies were inactive.

On August 11, 2025, the Election Board announced a schedule with polling set for November 1.

The situation became more complex when, on September 4, 2025, the commerce ministry’s Trade Organisation Wing allowed Town Association and Trade Group participation, despite earlier CCCI and ministry reports (July 15 and August 20) describing them as inactive and non-operational.

Legal challenges followed, with four businessmen approaching the Alternative Dispute Resolution Tribunal of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), while another filed a writ with the High Court, both contesting the process and category inclusion.

On April 22, the FBCCI Tribunal ordered the cancellation of the earlier election schedule and directed that a new one be announced under the Trade Organisation Rules 2025, requiring direct voting for all presidium posts.

However, on May 18, the Election Board issued a notice setting the election for May 23, prompting another writ on May 19 by SM Nurul Haque and another business leader.

The High Court stayed that notice on May 21 for six months, but a Supreme Court chamber judge later stayed the High Court order the same day, allowing the election to proceed.

The commerce ministry also directed that it be held in a free and fair manner.