Chittagong Chamber election set for Saturday after day of legal twists
On 18 May, the election board announced that voting would finally take place on 23 May
The long-running legal battle surrounding the biennial election of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry took another dramatic turn yesterday, as a High Court order suspending the polls was overturned within hours, clearing the way for the election scheduled to be held on 23 May.
The election process has faced repeated disruptions since September last year, with court cases leading to five separate suspensions. On 18 May, the election board announced that voting would finally take place on 23 May.
However, just two days before the scheduled date, leaders of the Somomona Parishad panel, SM Nurul Haque and Azizul Haque, filed a writ petition seeking a stay on the polls.
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Following the petition, a High Court division bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice Abdur Rahman yesterday morning ordered a six-month suspension of the election and issued a rule nisi in this regard.
Later in the afternoon, the government appealed against the order. The chamber judge of the Appellate Division stayed the High Court order until a full court hearing scheduled for 8 June, effectively removing all legal barriers to holding the election on 23 May.
The development was confirmed by Advocate-on-Record Md Helal Amin, who represented the attorney general.
Meanwhile, chamber officials said preparations are continuing as scheduled. Nurul Absar Chowdhury, joint secretary of the chamber, said voting would be held on Saturday from 9am to 4pm at the World Trade Centre in Agrabad.
In a press release issued this evening (21 May), he further said "The election schedule had been announced through a notice signed by election board chairman and Director of Local Government for Chattogram Division Monowara Begum on 18 May. The notice was published on the chamber's notice board, website and Facebook page, and members were also informed by SMS."
According to the release, an orientation programme for around 150 election officials and staff was held at the World Trade Centre conference hall yesterday afternoon to ensure smooth conduct of the vote.
The chamber also said the Ministry of Commerce issued directives on 21 May to ensure the election is conducted in a fair, neutral and acceptable manner. A five-member observer team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, police administration and district administration will monitor proceedings, while law enforcement agencies will remain deployed for security.
The election had previously been postponed five times following multiple lawsuits, counter-lawsuits and High Court directives, fueling frustration among businesspeople since the schedule was first declared in September last year.
Most recently, on 22 April, the arbitration tribunal of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry cancelled the chamber's election schedule and ordered preparation of a fresh timetable. The bench, comprising Chairperson Nasrin Begum and members ASM Kamal Uddin and Sayed Ahmed, issued the directive while disposing of arbitration cases numbered 11, 12 and 13 of 2025.
Three individuals have repeatedly featured in the legal disputes: garment accessories supplier Muhammad Belal Hossain, who sought to contest in the trade group category; former chamber senior vice-president SM Nurul Haque, and panel member Azizul Haque
