Chittagong Chamber of Commerce Elections Set for May 23

The long-awaited election of the country’s century-old business body, the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), will be held on Saturday, May 23.

The announcement was made in a notification signed on Monday (May 18) by Monowara Begum, Director (Local Government) of the Chittagong Divisional Commissioner’s Office and Chairman of the Election Board.

According to the notification, voting to elect 18 directors from the Ordinary and Associate groups will take place from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Agrabad World Trade Center.

The last competitive election of the Chittagong Chamber was held on March 30, 2013.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the Chamber has been run by administrators for more than 20 months.

Muhammad Anwar Pasha, then Additional Divisional Commissioner (General), was appointed administrator on September 9, 2024. After his term ended, Mohammad Nurullah Nuri took charge on September 8, 2025. Later, Md. Motaher Hossain was appointed administrator from January 20 this year until completion of the election process.

The election process faced repeated delays due to a series of legal disputes. The High Court postponed the election five times, leading to frustration among many businesspeople.

Business leaders welcomed the announcement of the new election date, saying the vote is important for restoring democratic practices within the Chamber. They alleged that prolonged single-group dominance had limited participation and opportunities for ordinary business members.

Leaders of several trade bodies, including the C&F Association, Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, Berth Operators’ Association, and Ship Handling Operators and Terminal Operators Owners Association, welcomed the decision to hold the election.

Under the Chamber’s Articles of Association, 12 directors from the Ordinary Group and six from the Associate Group are elected directly. Another six directors from the Town Association and Trade Group are selected unopposed through consensus. The Chamber president, senior vice-president, and vice-president are later elected by the 24 directors.

The organization has a total of 6,780 members, including 4,010 general members, 2,764 associate members, five town association members, and 10 trade group members.

Two panels are contesting the election. One is the United Business Forum, led by former FBCCI director Amirul Haque. The other is Samaman Parishad, led by former senior vice-president SM Nurul Haque.