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must be considered, leaving no scope for the election to proceed under current rules.”

Under CCCI rules, the board is formed through direct votes, including 12 directors from the general category, 6 from the associate category, and 6 from the town association and trade group categories, totalling 24 members.

From these directors, a president and two vice presidents are subsequently elected.

This year, six candidates from the town association and trade group categories were set to be elected unopposed.

According to chamber sources, the last contested election took place in 2013, and all subsequent committees were formed unopposed. Following the schedule announced on August 11, 2025, business leaders had anticipated a long-overdue vote.

However, disputes over “pocket voters” in the trade group category prompted one faction to first approach FBCCI and later the courts.

Mohammad Amirul Haque, managing director of Premier Cement, told The Daily Star, “This historic organisation has not held an election for over a year and a half. Those who have delayed the process through litigation need to explain who really benefits.”

Amirul serves as president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA) for the 2025-2027 period. He is also the president of the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB).

He said, “With no elected board, a government officer is currently acting as administrator. Businesspeople have limited access to raise their issues with the government. Over the past two years, local and global challenges have made this the toughest period for the business community, and there is no proper guardian in Chittagong to address these problems.”