The long-awaited biennial election of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry was held on Saturday after 13 years, ending prolonged legal complications, multiple writ petitions and uncertainty, although one panel boycotted the polls.
From early morning, business leaders gathered at the World Trade Centre in Agrabad to cast their votes, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere among voters after more than a decade without elections.
Voting began at 9am and continued without interruption until 4pm. A total of 53 candidates contested for 24 posts, while voters turned out in large numbers, marking what many described as a festive environment in the business community.
However, one panel announced its boycott of the election on Friday afternoon, just a day before the vote.
According to chamber sources, 24 directors will be elected through votes from members across different categories—12 from the general category, six from associate members, and six from town association and trade group categories (three each). The elected directors will later select a president and two vice presidents from among themselves.
Voters expressed satisfaction at being able to cast their ballots after such a long gap, while also hoping that the newly elected leadership would play an effective role in addressing business-related issues and protecting traders’ interests.
Two panels participated in the election — the Sammilito Business Council and the United Business Forum. However, the Sammilito Business Council withdrew from the race on the eve of the election.
United Business Forum panel leader Amirul Haque said a festive atmosphere prevailed at the chamber, with businessmen turning out in groups to vote for their preferred candidates.
He added that although one panel boycotted the election, the enthusiasm remained largely unaffected as several independent candidates were also in the race.
Security measures were strengthened around the polling centre. The chamber has 4,001 general members and 2,764 associate members, bringing the total number of voters to 6,780.
The last election of the Chattogram Chamber was held in 2013, after which successive committees were formed without contests.
Vote counting began after polling ended at 4pm.