Amirul Haque-led United Business Forum wins full panel

The panel of United Business Forum won all 24 director posts in the long-awaited biennial election of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) held today amid a boycott by rival panel Sammilito Byaboshayee Parishad.

The biennial election for the 2025–2027 term was held after being postponed three times, following legal complications and a series of writs and counter-writs filed by business leaders.

United Business Forum was led by Seacom Group founding chairman Mohammad Amirul Haque.

Voters cast their ballots today to elect 18 directors in two categories -- 12 directors from the ordinary member group and six from the associate member group.

The remaining six director candidates from the Town Association and Trade Group categories, including United Business Forum panel leader Mohammad Amirul Haque, had already been elected unopposed as there were no rival candidates.

Election Board Chairman Monowara Begum told The Daily Star that the election was held in a fair and festive manner.

She said 46.06 percent of votes were cast in the ordinary group, while turnout in the associate group stood at 31.98 percent.

According to sources at the port city chamber, 1,843 out of 4,001 voters in the ordinary group cast their votes, while 882 out of 2,764 voters in the associate group participated in the election.

The election for the presidium posts will be held on May 25, when the 24 elected directors will choose the president, senior vice president, and vice president, sources said.

A day before the election, on May 22, Sammilito Byaboshayee Parishad announced its boycott of the polls, calling the election process illegal.

The last time direct voting took place in the chamber election was in 2013, when the MA Latif-backed Mahbubul Alam-Nurun Newaj Parishad won 20 director posts.

Since then, the Chattogram chamber’s executive board had been elected unopposed for five consecutive terms until 2023.