The Ministry of Commerce has appointed administrators to two registered trade organisations – the Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association and the Bangladesh Acid Merchant Association – citing serious irregularities in their operations and election processes.
Office of the Director General (In-Charge) of Trade Organisations has issued separate official notices in this regard.
According to the notices, Joint Secretary Shayla Yasmin has been appointed as the administrator of the CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association while Deputy Secretary Md Abdul Malek has been named the administrator of the Acid Merchant Association.
The decision follows findings that the CNG association failed to satisfactorily respond to a show cause notice regarding its inactive status and had significant flaws in the preparation of its voter list.
The existing executive committee was also found to be operating without compliance to electoral rules, with the FBCCI’s arbitration tribunal having identified procedural errors in the announcement of the last election schedule.
Similarly, the Acid Merchant Association’s leadership was accused of violating a prior arbitration ruling by conducting an election deemed irregular.
The ministry found that the election was held without following due process and in violation of the organisation’s own constitution.
In both cases, the Commerce Ministry has cancelled the standing executive committees and invoked Section 17 of the Trade Organisation Act, 2022 to appoint administrators.
The administrators have been directed to hold fresh and fair elections within 120 days and hand over responsibilities to newly elected committees upon completion of the process.
The move is aimed at restoring transparency, accountability, and proper governance in the internal affairs of the two trade bodies
