Deadlock over Ctg chamber polls eases

The deadlock over the biennial elections of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) appears to have ended after the High Court said yesterday that there is no bar to two categories taking part in the polls.

The High Court (HC) bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Ashif Hasan delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition.

In CCCI elections, two dozen directors are elected from four categories. These are the General Group, Associate Group, Town Association and Trade Group. The president and two vice presidents are then elected by these directors.

This year, six candidates, three each from the Town Association and the Trade Group, had been on course to secure directorships. A section of stakeholders, calling the two categories "pocket votes", demanded their exclusion from the polls altogether.

Inquiry reports by the chamber and the commerce ministry in July and August also recommended barring these categories from the election.

However, the commerce ministry in September issued an order allowing both the Trade Group and the Town Association to participate.

Mohammed Belal, a businessman, challenged the ministry order and filed a writ petition with the HC.

Responding to the writ in October, the court asked the authorities to explain why the ministry's decision to permit the two "inactive and un-operational" categories should not be declared illegal.

The HC also said the overall election process would continue by excluding both the groups.

Challenging the HC order, the commerce ministry filed an appeal with the Appellate Division on the same day.

On October 30, the Appellate Division deferred the CCCI polls for two weeks and directed the HC to dispose of the original writ during that period.

The HC yesterday disposed of that original writ, said Advocate Farzana Khan, who represented the two categories.

Advocate Farzana said the court, after extensive hearings, discharged the earlier rule. According to her, the decision means the commerce ministry order allowing the two categories in the polls now faces no legal obstacle.