Ctg chamber gets administrator

The government appointed an administrator to the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) yesterday, seven days after the president and the remaining 23 directors of the CCCI executive board resigned following protests.

Trade Organisation Wing of the Commerce Ministry issued an order signed by its Director General Dr Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury appointing Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) of Chattogram Muhammad Anowar Pasha as the administrator.

In the order, the wing also asked the new administrator to hold a fair and neutral election to the CCCI board within 120 days and then hand over the charge to the elected committee.

Earlier on September 2, all 24 members of the CCCI executive board, including its president, Omar Hazzaz, resigned following protests from business communities.

Hazzaz, in a letter to the commerce ministry that day, cited that different organisations under the banner of "All Business Community of Chattogram" and "Deprived Business Community" were staging protests.

They have been demanding resignation of the current CCCI board members and a fresh election since the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5.

On August 8 last year, Omar Hazzaz, son of former local Awami League lawmaker MA Latif, was chosen as the president of the CCCI for 2023-24 and 2024-2025 period.

Two days earlier, all 24 director hopefuls, including Hazzaz, emerged victorious in an election where no votes were cast.

This was for the fifth consecutive time the port city's trade body got leaders through a non-participatory election.