The Supreme Court yesterday extended until Thursday its order that allowed the authorities concerned to continue the process for holding the elections of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).

The apex court also asked the FBCCI authorities to file a leave to appeal petition by March 30 against the High Court order that stayed the election process for two months.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the FBCCI authorities seeking stay on the HC order.

FBCCI lawyer Barrister Imtiaz Moinul Islam told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for continuing the election process for the FBCCI following the SC order.

Following a writ petition filed by Mymensingh Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Aminul Haque Shamim, the HC on March 21 stayed the process for holding FBCCI election for two months.

The FBCCI authorities on March 23 submitted a petition to the SC seeking a stay on the HC order.

The SC chamber judge the same day allowed the authorities till yesterday to continue the election process and send the stay petition to the full bench of the Appellate Division for its hearing.