BIHA committee formed without AGM sparks controversy

Staff Reporter :

Allegations have surfaced that the Bangladesh International Hotel Association (BIHA) has formed a new committee for 2024-2026 without following the proper procedures, including skipping the mandatory Annual General Meeting (AGM) and bypassing election protocols.

Concerns have been raised by stakeholders, warning that these irregularities could create disorder within BIHA and seriously impact the country’s tourism and hospitality sector.

BIHA, which comprises around 50 members from three-star, four-star, and five-star hotels, now faces criticism for not adhering to the standard rules for forming committees in business organizations.

According to sources, HM Hakim Ali, the proprietor of Agarbad Hotel in Chattogram and the founding president of BIHA, was forced to sign a blank document in August.

This document was allegedly used to establish a new BIHA committee, with Khaledur Rahman Sany, Managing Director of Hotel Golden Tulip, as the new President, despite no election or AGM being held.

Hotel Golden Tulip, which is reportedly operating in a rented building without a proper three-star hotel license, has also come under scrutiny.

The new committee, which includes two Vice Presidents and six executive members, named HM Hakim Ali as Chief Patron.

However, this action violated BIHA’s governing rules, prompting key figures in the organization to voice their opposition. Vice President Abul Kalam Azad, Managing Director of Long Beach Hotel, resigned in protest, while other prominent figures, including Mohiuddin Khan Khokon (owner of Hotel Cox Today), Shakhawat Hossain (Co-Chairman of BIHA and CEO of The Westin Dhaka), and Tarek Shams (owner of Lake Shore Hotel), have also condemned the move.

HM Hakim Ali, asserting his position as the rightful President of BIHA, stated, “I have not resigned from my post, and no AGM was conducted.”

He went on to describe the new committee as illegal, a sentiment shared by several other hotel owners.

Meanwhile, Khaledur Rahman Sany defended the committee’s formation, saying, “We formed the new committee because the old committee’s tenure had ended.”

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Administrator, Hafizur Rahman, confirmed that proper business organization (TO) rules must be followed when forming committees and conducting AGMs.

The controversy surrounding BIHA’s leadership formation is ongoing, with many stakeholders calling for a return to proper governance practices.