CCCI polls to see tough battle

The coming election of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the apex trade body of the port city, is likely to witness a tough contest as 37 candidates are running for 24 posts of its directors.

The directors will be elected under four separate categories -- ordinary group, associate group, town association group and trade association group.

About 5000 voters are expected to cast their votes in the election scheduled for December 14.

The 24 newly elected directors will then choose their new president, senior vice president and vice president as per the rules of the CCCI, sources said.

Election fever has already gripped the business community amid heightened 'chamber politics' while the candidates began their campaign to woo the voters.

The contenders have started making personal contacts, holding group meetings and lobbying to secure support from the business community, sources said.

Among the candidates running for the posts are incumbent CCCI President Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, former president Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Zaved, two former vice presidents of BGMEA Mahbub Ali and SM Nurul Huq, Senior Vice President of CCCI Ershad Ullah and former vice president MA Latif.

Sources said some former leaders of CCCI are reportedly trying to form a group to win the election as a majority with a view to take the helm of leadership in the trade body by choosing their own president while the incumbent president of CCCI is also trying hard to stage his comeback.

A total of 19 candidates are vying for the posts of 12 directors in the ordinary group and 10 candidates for six posts in the associate group. The town association and trade association groups have three posts each and the number of contenders is four from each group.

Candidates for the ordinary group are Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Zaved, Abu Haider Chowdhury Amjad, Aftab Rahim Chowdhury, Nurun Newaj Selim, Ashik Bhuiyan, Ershad Ullah, Hasanuzzaman Chowdhury, Kamal Mostafa Chowdhury, MA Bakkar, Abdul Malek, Anwar Shawkat Afsar, Emdadul Hoque Chowdhury, Imran Ali Bhuiyan, Md Mohsin, Amirul Hoque, Panaullah Ahmad, SM Nuruddin and Shahabuddin Ahmad.

In the associate group, the contestants are SM Nurul Haque, Monzurul Amin Chowdhury, Mahbubul Alam Talukder, Mahfuzul Huq Shah, Zahirul Islam Chowdhury, Alamgir, Shahedul Islam Kaderi, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, SM Masum, Sarwar Alamgir and Nazrul Islam.

Afsar Ahmad Chowdhury, Mahbub Ali, Syed Ahsanul Huq and Dr Moinul Islam Mahmud are contesting the election from the town association group and Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, MA Latif, Syed Jamal Ahmad and Rafiqur Rahman from the trade association group.

The CCCI leaders are elected for a term of two years.