Mahbubul Alam reelected as Chittagong Chamber president for fifth time

Mahbubul Alam, chairman of M Alam Group, has been reelected as the president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) for the fifth consecutive time for 2021-22 and 2022-23 period.

Tarafder Md Ruhul Amin, director of Saif Powertech Ltd, and Syed Mohammad Tanvir, director of Pacific Jeans, have been elected as senior vice president and vice president respectively.

The three were elected unanimously as there were no other contestants. The decision came from the first meeting of the newly elected directors at the Bangabandhu Conference Hall at World Trade Centre today, the chamber said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, the last day for submitting nomination papers, 24 directors were elected uncontested in four groups, including Ordinary Members, Associate Members, Town Hall Association and Trade Group, as only 24 candidates submitted nomination papers for 24 director posts, he said.

All the 24 candidates are backed by lawmaker MA Latif, also a former president of CCCI.

The election was scheduled to be held on June 10.

It is for the fourth time no voting has been held in the biennial election of the hundred years old trade body of Chattogram.

On request for anonymity, a former Chittagong Chamber director said Latif influenced to keep the number of candidates within 24 this time and thus no other panel could vie.

The last polls for the biennial election was held on March 30 in 2013 when lawmaker MA Latif supported Mahbubul Alam-Nurun Newaj Parishad won in 20 director posts. Their rival Morshed Murad-MA Salam Oikkya Parishad won in the rest 4 posts. Mahbubul were elected as president for the first time in that poll.

Alam has been able to become CCCI president for the fifth consecutive time as the Trade Organisation Rule was amended in 2017 allowing one person to vie beyond three consecutive periods.

Due to rivalry among the Chattogram businesses over the leadership of MA Latif, a group of big industrialists formed new chamber named Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI) 10 years back but it could not attract the businesses much.

On the issues, Latif said there is no need of another panel in the poll since the previous rivalry among the businesses does not exists and all want to work together.

The members unanimously decided for this single panel since the current panel represents businessmen from different groups who once vied against each other, he said.

"Even sons of different industrialists who once formed another chamber joined our chamber and has been elected directors in the last few years," he said.