The biennial election of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) ended in a clean sweep for the United Business Forum, which secured all 24 director posts of the chamber board.
The results were announced on Saturday afternoon by Election Board Chairman Monowara Begum after vote counting at the World Trade Center Agrabad.
Voting was held for 18 director posts, while six directors from the town association and trade group categories were elected unopposed. With no opposition victories, the entire 24-member board came under the control of the United Business Forum panel.
This year’s polls marked the return of direct voting for chamber directors after more than a decade. Since 2013, chamber committees had been formed without elections.
Election officials said 6,780 voters were registered, of whom 2,725 cast ballots, yielding nearly 40 per cent turnout.
In the general category, 1,843 of 4,010 voters participated, a turnout of around 46 per cent. In the associate category, 882 of 2,764 voters voted, or nearly 32 per cent turnout.
Voting was conducted at 17 booths. General category voters cast 12 votes each, while associate category voters cast six votes each, in line with the chamber’s electoral structure.
Under the framework, 12 directors are elected from the general category, six from the associate category and six from town association and trade group categories, forming the 24-member board. The elected directors will later choose the chamber president, senior vice-president and vice-president.
Chamber sources said the presidium election is scheduled for Monday at 11:30am, when the newly elected directors will vote to select the top three office bearers.
In the general category, Kamal Mustafa Chowdhury secured the highest 1,405 votes, followed by ASM Ismail Khan with 1,374, Abu Haider Chowdhury with 1,364, Md Amjad Hossain Chowdhury with 1,352, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury with 1,321, Asad Iftekhar with 1,306, Aman Ullah Al Chhagir with 1,277, Md Golam Sarwar and Md Habibur Rahman with 1,259 each, Md Shafiul Alam with 1,249 and Md Shahidul Islam Chowdhury with 1,211.
In the associate category, Md Zahidul Hasan received 687 votes, Md Nurul Islam 661, Md Selim Nur 646, Sarwar Alam Khan 641, Md Mashiul Alam 632 and Md Alauddin Al Azad 618.
In the trade group category, Mohammad Akhtar Parvez, Mohammad Amirul Haque and SM Saiful Alam were elected unopposed. In the town association category, Afsar Hasan Chowdhury, Mohammad Monir Uddin and Mohammad Sajjad Un Nabaz were also elected unopposed.
United Business Forum team leader and newly elected director Mohammad Amirul Haque said the business community had long demanded leadership through direct voting.
“We wanted businessmen to choose their leadership through direct votes, and that has finally happened,” he said.
Although turnout was significant, the election proceeded with candidates from a single panel after one of the two main rival groups boycotted the race.
On May 22, a day before the polls, the Sammilito Byaboshayi Parishad panel led by SM Nurul Haque withdrew from the election.
