Chittagong Chamber polling is going on, after an age the mood of the festival
Photo Collected
This scene was last seen in 2013. Queues of voters, enthusiasm of traders — all in all a festive atmosphere. Then the festival subsided. All subsequent committees are formed unopposed instead of voting. However, after an era, the mood of voting has returned to Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries, an organization of businessmen.
Biennial elections of the organization are being held today Saturday. Polling is underway on the ground floor of the World Trade Center in Agrabad area of the city. Although polling started from 9 am, the presence of voters was seen from 8 am. Voting will continue till 4 pm. A general category voter can cast a total of 12 votes and an associate category voter can cast 6 votes.
বিজ্ঞাপন
According to Chamber sources, 12 directors were elected from general category, 6 directors from associate category and 3 directors each from town association and trade group category. Thus a 24-member board of the chamber was formed. A president and two vice-presidents were later elected by the elected directors.
According to the final list, 37 people are electing this time from general category. Apart from the 24 members of the two panels, there are 13 independent candidates. On the other hand, 15 people are electing in the associate category. Apart from the 12 members of the two panels, there are 3 independents. 3 each from trade groups and town associations and 6 are on course to be elected unopposed.
বিজ্ঞাপন
According to the chamber, the total number of voters in the chamber is 6 thousand 780 people. Among them, 4 thousand 1 ordinary members, 2 thousand 764 associate members. Businessmen are expecting that at least 40 to 60 percent votes will be cast in this election. Because businessmen could not vote for an age. I will regret not being able to vote through this election.
Two panels were announced around this year’s election. One is the Combined Business Council headed by former First Vice President of BGMEA SM Nurul Haque and the other is the United Business Forum headed by Amirul Haque, former Director of FBCCI. However, on Friday, the Combined Chamber of Commerce announced that it would pull out of the chamber’s election as a ‘farce election’. According to the schedule, the names and ballot numbers of all the candidates of the Combined Business Council will be mentioned in the voting ballot even if the panel stands down for not withdrawing the candidature within the time limit.
Businessmen say that even though one party has announced a boycott, voter turnout in the elections is quite good. From grassroots traders to large industrial conglomerates; Everyone came to vote. Former directors and presidents of the chamber have also come to encourage businessmen.
At 11:30 a.m., a crowd of voters and businessmen was seen on the ground floor of the World Trade Center. Voting is going on in 17 booths. Traders collect ballots and vote for their preferred candidates. Meanwhile, a gathering of businessmen was seen outside the polling station.
United Business Forum team leader Amirul Haque said, “We want voters to come, businessmen to elect their leaders through voting.” A century later, the presence of voters in the chamber proved that businessmen were in favor of the vote. We want qualified leadership to emerge through elections.
Three presiding officers are serving in the election. Subrata Biswas Das, Senior Assistant Commissioner at the Presiding Officer and Divisional Commissioner’s Office, said, “Voting is going on smoothly. Voter turnout is good. Many are outside. It is hoped that there will be a participatory election.
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