The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) goes into polls today to elect 24 directors, 12 each from both chamber and association groups.
The election, which was stuck for several months in a legal battle, will start at 9:00 am and continue until 4:30 pm in which a total of 1230 voters, 316 from chamber group and the rest from association group, will exercise their rights.
Forty-nine candidates — 27 from chamber group and 22 from association group — are in the run for directorship.
The results of the election will be announced today.
Seven directors, one from each of the country’s seven leading chambers, have already been nominated. They are: Afttab-ul-Islam of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, AK Rafiqul Islam of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Amirul Haque of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Md Hasen Ali of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Junnan Mahmud Khan of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saharuzzaman Murtaza of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Md Ebaidul Hoque Chand of Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Seven others from the country’s seven leading associations have also been nominated. They are Abdul Hai Sarkar of Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association, Annisul Huq of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Abdul Matlub Ahmed of Bangladesh Insurance Association, SM Shafiuzzaman of Bangladesh Association for Pharmaceutical Association, AKM Nurul Fazal Bulbul of Bangladesh Bankers Association, Kazi Belayet Hossain of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, and Kamran Tanvirur Rahman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association.
The 38 directors, nominated 14 and elected 24, will elect president, first vice-president and vice-president of the FBCCI for 2007-09 term the day after tomorrow.
Annisul Huq, nominated director from the BGMEA, and MA Rouf Chowdhury, a candidate for the post of director from association group, declared their candidature for the top post of the FBCCI.
Both of the presidential candidates were busy campaigning yesterday.
Both Annisul and Rouf introduced their panel candidates to media during two separate press conferences in Dhaka yesterday.
Annisul is leading a 24-member panel, while Rouf’s panel consists of 21-members.
Speaking at the press conference, Annisul Huq said he, as a president of FBCCI, wants to work for the country’s economic development with a consolidated plan.
Addressing another press conference, Rouf Chowdhury said if elected as president, his roadmap will include holding a series of open dialogues, in the presence of media, with the stakeholders and government on prices of essentials, formation of a price commission, business confidence, investment and interest rates, and restructuring and empowering FBCCI secretariat.
Published in: The Daily Star, Mar 17, 2008
