A total of 63 candidates are contesting the election, which has created huge enthusiasm among the members of the association.

Of the total, 54 candidates are representing two panels -- Gonotantric Forum and Sammilita Samannoy Front -- while the rest nine are independent candidates.

Voting will start at 9am and continue till 4pm without any break at the FBCCI building at Motijheel. A total of 660 voters are expected to cast their votes in the polls.

Former president of Baira M Mosharraf Hossain MP is leading the Sammilita Samannoy Front while former senior vice-president of the association Minaz Uddin Ahmed is the leader of the Gonotantric Forum.

Candidates of Gonotantric Forum are: JH Gazi, Md Forkan Uddin, Golam Kibria, Mojibor Rahman, Reazul Islam, Prof Morshed Sanaullah Kaini, AKM Moazzem Hossain, MM Habibur Rahman, Md Azizul Haque, Mohammad Hossain, Mostafa Mahmud, Golam Mainuddin, KM Faruk Hossain, Mohammad Selim, Azizul Haque Majumder Selim, Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, AKM Mohiuddin, Md Abul Bashar, Md Nurul Amin, Nasir Uddin Majumder, Abdur Rahim Majumder, Abdullah Taiyab, Mominul Haque Bhuiyan, Majibor Rahman Beg, Mozammel Hossain Hawlader and MA Salam.

The candidates of the Sammilita Samannoy Front are: GM Fazlul Haque MP, Principal Shafique Ahmed Bhuiyan, Kazi Md Mofizur Rahman, M Shafiqul Alam Firoz, Golam Mostofa Babul, QSH Lintu, AHM Moinuddin Titas, Ali Haider Chowdhury, Md Anwar Hossain, Md Anwar Hossain Bhuiyan, Mohammad Abul Bashar, Md Abdus Sobhan Bhuiyan, Sheikh Md Ali Zinnah, Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, Md Siraj Mia, AHM Golam Kabir, Mohammad Enamul Haque, Akbar Hossain Monju, Md Faruk, Md Majibor Rahman Monju, Abdul Alim, Mohammad Habibullah, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed Litu, Monsur Ahmed Kalam, Emdad Ullah and Mozammel Haque Bhuiyan.

After being elected, 27 executive committee members will choose their 11 office bearers including president, a senior vice-president, two vice-presidents, general secretary, three joint secretaries, cultural secretary, treasurer and publicity secretary.

Meanwhile, Baira gave a farewell to its outgoing secretary general Ghulam Mostafa Tuesday night at a city hotel. Mostafa was Baira secretary general for last three terms.