The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The stalled FBCCI election has been rescheduled to be held on Monday with the voters looking ahead to bring about a change in the very functioning of the country's apex trade body.

Candidates, split into two panels, one led by former BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters association) president Anisul Huq, representing the association group and the other led by the former FBCCI director Rouf Chowdhury from the chamber group.

As the election, scheduled to be held on September 5 last Year, got postponed due to controversy over voters' list the commerce ministry extended the tenure of the incumbent executive committee led by Mir Nasir Hossain until December 6 of last year.

But as a solution proved difficult, the government appointed industrialist and former chamber leader Syed Manzur Elahi, the administrator of the apex body with the mandate to hold election within 120 days.

On Monday's election, out of 38-director executive committee the two groups, association and chamber, would elect 12 each while the remaining 14 would be nominated by major chambers and associations in Dhaka and outside.

The association group has 1,220 voters while the chamber group has 316 voters.

Voters are vocal this time to bring about change in the functioning of the FBCCI, said a contestant Omnan Gani.

A three-member election board comprises Prof Ali Asharaf as president and A S M Kamaluddin and Prabir Kumar Sinha as members.

The board has disqualified four contestants on the ground that they have already served on three consecutive executive committees, totaling six years.

The government circular requires one to take a break after three terms to make room for others. The de-listed candidates have filed writs before the High Court Division of the Supreme Court.

The association group's presidential candidate Anisul Islam has also filed a writ challenging the presidential candidature of Rouf Chowdhury. He alleged that as Chowdhury served as director for more than six years, it was time for him to take a break.

In all five petitions will come up for hearing at the High Court Division tomorrow and the stakeholders, particularly the candidates and voters are awaiting the court's verdicts, not knowing what would come out at the last moment.