On the election schedule of Sylhet Chamber of Commerce Industry (SCCI), the local business community has split into two factions.
One faction wants election right now while another seeks further delay.
Amid such divided stance among the business people, SCCI election board chief Sabera Akhter said she is going to declare election manifesto this week unless there is no further notice.
“The election will be held on October 2, and we are taking preparation now,” she said. On Monday evening, the board held a meeting with the former leaders of SCCI on the matter.
Business leaders Salah Uddin Ali Ahmed, ATM Shuyeb and Nasim Hossain have demanded deferment of election. “We have sent a letter to the board seeking more time,” said Saleh Uddin Ahmed.
But SCCI’s former president Faruque Ahmed Misbah welcomed the board’s decision to hold election now.
At the meeting, he requested the board to hold election in time.
Over holding of the election, squabbling erupted at the meeting while the board chief had to interfere to bring the situation back to normal. She told the meeting: “The election will take place in due time. There is no scope to delay it.”
However, only if any decision was taken to defer election, the schedule would be altered, the board chief said.
The last SCCI poll took place on June 2, 2011, when Faruque Ahmed Misbah was elected to the post of president. The committee led by him took charge on June 8. But it failed to hold election on time after end of the tenure.
Meanwhile, a committee comprising 15 directors had moved a motion of no-confidence against the former president which triggered conflicts among them.
To calm the situation, commerce ministry on June 13 made Additional Deputy Commissioner (education) AZM Nurul Haque administrator of the chamber.
Also, the ministry fixed a time-frame for holding next SCCI election.
After taking charge, the administrator formed an election board making Sabera Akhter, Dakshin Surma Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), its head.
Assistant Commissioner (land) of the upazila Asaduzzaman and executive magistrate Anisur Rahman were also made board members.
According to the law, the next election shall be held within 90 days preceding the expiry of the tenure of chamber.