The biennial election of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) for 2015-15 was held amid festivity yesterday.
“The poll was held at a festive mode and all the candidates termed the election as free, fair and credible,” Election Board Chairman Professor Ali Ashraf told the reporters, after the ending of vote at 5pm, which was started at 9am.
A total of 1,950 out of 2,204 votes were cast in the apex trade body’s election. Chamber group cast 418 votes out of 436 votes, while the Association group cast 1,532 votes out of 1,768 votes, he said.
“The election is being held in a festive mode and it is free fair and credible to all the participants,” Unnayan Parishad’s panel leader and Nitol Niloy Group Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmad told the Dhaka Tribune after casting his vote in the morning.
“We will accept the result whoever wins and work together for the betterment of the business community,” he said.
“There is no scope of rejecting the result of the election like the political parties,” said Kazi Ertaza Hassan, another panel leader. “The election is going on in festive mood and it’s a get together for the business community.”
Three panels contested the elections under the banner of Unnayan Parishad led by Nitol Niloy Group Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmad, Swadhinata Byabshayee Parishad led by Monowara Hakim Ali, the incumbent first vice-president of the FBCCI, and Byabshayee Oikya Parishad led by Kazi Ertaza Hassan.
The FBCCI Board will comprise 52 directors, of which 32 will be elected through direct votes and the remaining 20 will be nominated from different chambers and associations.
Of the 32 posts, 16 will be filled from the chamber group and another 16 from the association body. On the day after tomorrow, the elected and nominated directors will select the president, first vice-president and vice-president among themselves.