Businesses want removal of Ctg Chamber administrator

A group of business leaders today demanded the removal of the government-appointed administrator of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), accusing him of being "unfit and biased."

They also blamed him for failing to hold timely elections of the trade body and for violating its regulations in announcing the election schedule.

Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) of Chattogram Muhammad Anowar Pasha was appointed as the administrator by the Trade Organisation Wing of the commerce ministry on September 8 last year to hold the election of the CCCI board within 120 days.

The biennial election is fixed for November 1, as the CCCI election board announced the schedule on August 11 — more than 11 months after an administrator took charge of the century-old trade body.

Around 100 businessmen under the banner of Baisommo Birodhi Byabosayee Forum (Anti-Discrimination Businesses Forum), in a protest rally in front of the chamber office at the World Trade Centre in the port city, raised the demand.

Addressing the rally, the forum leaders said although administrators of other trade bodies handed over responsibility to elected representatives within due time, the CCCI administrator had been occupying the post for over a year by extending his tenure without arranging the election.

They alleged that on August 11, Administrator Pasha hastily announced the election schedule, setting September 1 as the deadline for membership renewal instead of the stipulated September 30, in violation of the chamber's Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Due to time constraints and lack of proper publicity, only 6,765 members were able to renew their memberships, which is less than 50 percent of the total 13,700 members of the trade association, the forum leaders claimed.

Forum leaders also accused the administrator of failing to take any steps to reduce the membership and renewal fees fixed by the commerce ministry despite opposition from businesses.

They further alleged that during the previous "fascist government," general traders were kept away from the chamber's activities and electoral process through various tactics, while the decisions by the administrator reflected a continuation of that trend to benefit a particular quarter.

The forum leaders demanded that the commerce ministry immediately remove the "biased and incompetent" administrator.

They urged the authorities to extend the membership renewal deadline till September 30, 2025, in line with the chamber's constitution, and to announce a fresh schedule to allow all members to exercise their voting rights.

Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association Director Shahidul Islam Chowdhury chaired the rally.

Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association members Mashiul Alam Swapan and Didarul Alam Chowdhury, former president of the Bangladesh Footwear Manufacturers Association Ershadul Haque Qureshi, and Bangladesh Brickfield Association Vice President Jahangir Alam spoke at the rally, which was attended by leaders of the Chattogram Customs Agents Association, women entrepreneurs, and other business leaders.

Contacted, CCCI Administrator Anwar Pasha denied the allegation of violating CCCI regulations in announcing the election schedule.

Pasha told The Daily Star that as per the chamber's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the CCCI members who renewed their membership 60 days before the date of polling — that is, before September 2 — shall be entitled to vote.

He also said he was no longer the administrator of the CCCI as his one-year tenure expired today.

Meanwhile, the Trade Organisation Wing of the commerce ministry today appointed Additional Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Nurullah Nuri as the new administrator for the Chittagong Chamber.

According to a circular signed by Commerce Ministry Deputy Secretary Chowdhury Samia Yasmin, the new administrator will be in charge from September 9 until completion of the electoral process.