Annisul Huq-led panel was leading in the biennial election to the country’s apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), held yesterday. According to the latest results, out of 12 posts of FBCCI directors, 11 were clinched by candidates from Annisul’s chamber-group panel while rival MA Rouf Chowdhury-led panel got only one post.
Winners from Annisul-led chamber group are Golam Dastagir Gazi (218 votes) of Gazipur chamber, Abul Kashem Ahmed (195 votes) of Tangail chamber, Rajjab Sharif (194 votes) of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries, Kohinur Islam (170 votes) of Munshiganj chamber, Kamaluddin Ahmed (166 votes) of Cox’s Bazar chamber, Shamsul Alam (161 votes) of Jessore chamber, Bijoy Kumar Kezriwal (160 votes) of Kustia chamber, Sirajul Haque (157 votes) of Lalmonirhat chamber, Aminul Bari (154 votes) of Joypurhat chamber, Shamsul Haque (150 votes) of Nagaon chamber, and Mahbub Islam Runu (147 votes) of Manikganj chamber.
The only winner from Rouf Chowdhury-led chamber group is Bazlur Rahman (185 votes) of Narayanganj chamber.
A total of six votes were cancelled in the chamber group balloting. FBCCI Election Board Chairman Professor Ali Ashraf made the unofficial announcement at 12:15am today at the Federation Bhaban.
Counting of the association group ballots started at 12:30am today which was due to end at dawn. At the time of filing this report at 1:40am, according to sources, Annisul’s panel was leading in the association ballots too. The voting took place yesterday amid huge enthusiasm among the business community, with around 93 percent turnout of voters.
This year 1,551 voters — 316 from the chamber group and 1,235 from the association group — were enrolled and 1,441 voters exercised their right to franchise, of whom 306 were from the chamber group and 1,135 were from the association group.
The voting began at 9:00 in the morning and continued till 4:30pm. Counting of votes started around 6:00pm and the final result was expected to come out at dawn today.
The FBCCI used transparent ballot boxes in the election as a test case. Soon after the balloting had begun, Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda visited the FBCCI election centre on the 7th floor of the Federation Bhaban in Motijheel, where 16 booths had been set up and two transparent ballot boxes had been placed.
The Federation Bhaban and the adjacent area got overcrowded during the voting as candidates and voters were milling around. The candidates along with their supporters were found carrying out last-hour campaigns in front of the Federation Bhaban. FBCCI Administrator Syed Manzur Elahi said at a news briefing following the voting that he was happy to complete the first phase of the FBCCI election within his 120-day tenure.
“Turnout of voters was good and balloting was completed without any untoward incident,” he said. The government appointed the former adviser to a caretaker government as the administrator of the FBCCI on December 8 last year, to hold the election to the executive committee of the apex trade body of the country within 120 days.
Chief of FBCCI Election Board Ali Ashraf said local and foreign observers, including the chief election commissioner, visited the election centre to watch the balloting. He said vote counting was underway and the results would be announced as soon as possible.
Directors elected in the first phase of voting, and already nominated directors will elect a president and two vice-presidents in the second phase of voting today, for 2007-’09.
Twenty four directors — 12 each from chamber and association groups — are to be elected through direct balloting. Fourteen others — seven each from the leading chamber and association groups — have already been nominated as directors by respective chambers and associations.
This year 49 contenders — 27 from the chamber group and 22 from the association group — ran for director posts. Earlier, Annisul Huq, nominated director from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and MA Rouf Chowdhury, a director candidate from the association group, declared their candidature for the top post of the FBCCI.
Annisul was heading a 24-member panel, while Rouf’s consisted of 21 members. Annisul alleged that his rival printed the names of three of his panel members on the latter’s panel list. Rouf, however, said there was nothing wrong in putting any candidate’s name on any list. “I could even include Annisul’s name if he was a candidate for the post of a director,” he said.
