HC asks secretary to explain the rise in FBCCI directors' posts
The High Court has given the commerce secretary four weeks to present his case for increasing the number of directors of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
The notice was issued on Sunday in response to a writ petition filed against the commerce ministry's decision to increase the number of directors without holding an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the trade body.
The petition was filed on August 13 by Golam Mostafa Talukder, an FBCCI director.
Justice Naima Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar issued the rule.
The commerce ministry, through a statutory regulatory order on July 31, raised the number of nominated directors from 16 to 18 and elected directors from 28 to 30 for the 2012-14 term.
But as per the articles of association of the FBCCI, holding an EGM is mandatory for increasing the posts of either the elected or nominated director.
The last time the number of directorial positions was increased -- in 2010, when the posts of nominated directors were raised from 14 to 16 -- an EGM was held.
In the FBCCI election, both the elected and nominated directors enjoy equal power in the selection of president and vice-presidents.
Since the establishment of the FBCCI in 1973, the general voters had been electing president and vice-presidents through a direct voting system.
But in 2002, the FBCCI introduced the system of selecting president and vice-presidents by the elected and nominated directors of the trade body.
The commerce ministry extended the tenure of the current FBCCI board to November 30 from June 30, and the FBCCI election for the 2012-14 term has been scheduled for November 24.
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