CHATTOGRAM, Dec 11: The High Court has cleared the way for the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) election, reaffirming that six candidates from the trade group and town association categories are legally eligible to contest.
A High Court bench, led by Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md Ashik Hasan, discharged the writ petition challenging a commerce ministry directive that allowed these two categories to participate in the election. Businessman Mohammed Belal had filed the writ petition.
In an order issued on Wednesday, the court lifted its earlier stay on the election and restored the legal effect of the ministry's memo issued on September 4. With this decision, there is no longer any legal barrier to holding the CCCI election.
According to a certification issued by Advocate Farzana Khan, the September 4 directive now stands in force, allowing the two contested categories to vote and contest in the upcoming election. This decision paves the way for the CCCI's 2025-26 and 2026-27 elections to proceed.
Mohammed Belal, Managing Director of Harbis Converting Limited, had argued that several trade and town associations were inactive and should not be allowed to participate in the election. An internal inquiry had flagged eight such groups, and based on these findings, Belal approached the FBCCI's Alternative Dispute Settlement Tribunal before filing a writ in the High Court.
The High Court had initially allowed polling to proceed without the inclusion of the disputed categories. However, following an appeal by the Ministry of Commerce, the matter was brought before the Appellate Division, which directed the High Court on October 30 to resolve the issue within a two-week period. As a result, the election, originally scheduled for November 1, was temporarily suspended.
According to the final list of valid candidates released by the Election Board on October 5, six directors are set to be elected unopposed in the CCCI election. These candidates include Mohammad Akhtar Parvez, Mohammad Amirul Haque, and SM Saiful Alam from the Trade Group, and Absar Hasan Chowdhury, Mohammad Monir Uddin, and Mohammad Sajjad Un Nawaz from the Town Association Group.
In addition, 57 candidates are contesting for the remaining 18 director positions, with 41 candidates vying for 12 posts in the Ordinary Group and 16 candidates competing for 6 posts in the Associate Member Group.
Following the release of the final candidate list, Mohammed Belal filed the writ challenging the eligibility of candidates from the trade and town association categories.
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