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FBCCI goes into polls process

Star Business Report
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) went into election process under a new format as collection of nomination papers began on Thursday.
The election of the country's apex trade body will be held on August 25, about eight months behind the schedule, on the FBCCI building premises in Dhaka. Aspirants will have to submit their nomination papers by July 24. Election Board will publish the list ofvalid nominations by July 26 and the final list will be published on August 2.
Three-member Election Board headed by Colonel (retd) Anisuzzaman has already published the final list of 1193 voters. Of the total voters, 936 will represent 191 associations and 257 come from 52 chambers. Some 22 trade bodies have been dropped from the list.
A total of 15 chambers including Kishoreganj, Pirojpur, Gaibanda and Patuakhali have been dropped from this year's voter list.
Seven associations including Bangladesh Ship Breakers' Association and Bangladesh Oil Mills Associations have been excluded from the association
category.
FBCCI sources said the trade bodies were dropped from the list, as they did not comply with the existing Trade and Ordinance (TO) rules and regulations. Some of the dropped 22 trade bodies also defaulted on paying subscription to the federation.
In the last election held in 2000, there were 1,062 voters. A total of 7,95 voters represented 162 associations and 267 voters came from 57 chambers.
The apex trade body's election was due in November last year. The election could not be held as some members under the banner of Election Reforms Committee filed writ in court challenging a commerce ministry rule.
The Ministry of Commerce directed the FBCCI to absorb 14 directors in the executive committee from leading associations and chambers without direct election in a bid to increase representation of key sectors and invite more chamber activities.
As the writ was disposed of there is no legal barriers to holding the election. So, this year's election will be held in a new format directed by the ministry.
Under the new rule, instead of 32-member executive committee, now there will be 38- member
body. The executive committee members are known as directors. Of them, some 14 directors — seven from chamber group and seven from association group — will be nominated without election. The rest 24 directors will be elected in direct voting.
Apart from Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka, six divisional chambers — Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industry will nominate one each director from their chambers for the FBCCI executive committee.
Seven leading associations, namely Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Associations, Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, Bangladesh Jute Association, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, Bangladesh Association of Banks, Bangladesh Insurance Association and Bangladesh Aushad Shilpa Samity (Pharmaceutical association), will nominate one each for the FBCCI executive committee.
The elected and nominated 38 directors will enjoy voting rights and would also be eligible to contest for the posts of president and two vice-presidents for a two-year term. In the previous system, there was one vice-president.
The presidency and vicepresidency are to rotate between chamber and association members. As the incumbent president comes from chamber group, an association candidate must succeed him.
Under the new system, of the two vice-presidents, the senior vice-president must come from chamber group as the current vice-president represents association group. The second vice-president has to be elected from association group.
An election official said on the first day of nomination paper collection on Thursday about 10 hopefuls took nomination papers.
Aspirants have already started campaigns. Meanwhile, Nitol Group Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmed on Wednesday announced his candidature for presidency of FBCCI. Though several names of leading businessmen are being speculated in the business community for the top post but none of them is yet to formally declare candidature.