23 directors elected unopposed as FBCCI goes to poll today

Staff Reporter  :
The biennial poll to elect the Board of Directors of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) will take place tomorrow at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre in the capital’s Agargaon.

The voting will take place from 9am to 4pm, without any break, said a press release of the FBCCI today.

The apex trade body with an 80-member Board of Directors will elect 23 directors through tomorrow’s election.

Meanwhile, as per the FBCCI’s constitution, 34 directors – 17 each from the organisation’s two groups – chamber and association – have been nominated. Besides, 23 from the chamber group were elected unopposed as the group had received only 23 nominations against the stipulated 23 posts.

Now, candidates are vying for the remaining 23 director posts from the association group.

A total of 48 candidates – 23 each from two panels – “Business Union Council” led by Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mahbubul Alam, and “Combined Chamber of Commerce” led by Mir Nizam Uddin Ahmed, and two independent candidates – are contesting the polls today.

A Matin Chowdhury, former president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, will act as the head of the election management board.

“There are around two thousand voters. We are ready to hold fair elections.

We want the cooperation of all members for this,” he told The Business Standard.

After today’s voting, the elected directors will host the election for the president, senior vice president, and six vice presidents on 2 August.

Sources in the FBCCI said, voting did not take place during the trade body’s last two elections. Besides, there has been no voting in the chamber group for the last eight years, electing leadership unopposed in the four terms.