The long-running legal battle surrounding the biennial election of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) took a dramatic turn on Thursday, as the Chamber Judge Court of the Appellate Division suspended a High Court order that had temporarily halted the election process.
With the latest order, there is now no legal barrier to holding the much-anticipated chamber election scheduled for 23 May, according to officials concerned.
Earlier in the day, the High Court Division issued an interim stay on the election proceedings following a writ petition (No 6876/2026) filed by SM Nurul Haque and others, creating uncertainty over the fate of the polls.
However, the government swiftly moved to challenge the order. Acting on instructions from the Attorney General, an urgent miscellaneous petition was filed before the Chamber Judge Court of the Appellate Division on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce.
After hearing both sides, the Chamber Court stayed the effectiveness of the High Court’s order, effectively restoring the election process. The matter has now been fixed for hearing before the full bench of the Appellate Division on 8 June. Until then, the High Court’s stay order will remain ineffective.
Supreme Court Advocate Md Helal Amin said the matter was treated as urgent because the election is scheduled to be held this Saturday.
“The High Court suspended the election earlier today, but following our petition, Justice Farah Mahbub of the Chamber Court granted a stay on that order. The Chamber Court’s order will remain in force until the matter is heard by the full bench on 8 June,” he said.
In a parallel development, the Commerce Ministry’s Commerce Organization-1 branch issued formal instructions to the chamber administrator to ensure that the election is conducted in a fair, neutral and credible manner.
A letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Ashraful Siddique directed the authorities concerned to take all necessary measures to complete the biennial election transparently in accordance with existing laws and regulations.
Meanwhile, the chamber authorities confirmed that voting will be held on Saturday, 23 May, from 9am to 4pm.
According to a notification issued on 18 May by Election Board Chairman and Local Government Director for Chittagong Division Monowara Begum, the election schedule has already been published on the chamber’s notice board, website, Facebook page and through SMS notifications.
An orientation programme involving around 150 election officials and staff members was also held at the World Trade Center conference hall on Thursday afternoon to finalize preparations for polling day.
The Election Board has sought cooperation from the Ministry of Commerce, district administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure proper monitoring and security during the election.
The last competitive election of the Chattogram Chamber was held on March 30, 2013. Since then, committees were formed through consensus-based selection without voting.
Following the political changes of 5August, 2024, the chamber administration underwent several reshuffles, while repeated attempts to hold elections were delayed due to legal disputes and writ petitions filed by rival candidates.
Two panels are contesting in this year’s election — the United Business Forum led by former FBCCI director Amirul Haque and the Samomona Parishad led by former senior vice-president SM Nurul Haque.
