Businesses Call for Early FBCCI Polls to Revive Private Sector

Government-appointed administrators are currently managing the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) along with 35 of its affiliated trade bodies, prompting business leaders to renew calls for immediate elections to restore representative leadership as the private sector struggles with rising production costs, weak investment, foreign exchange constraints and persistent energy shortages.

Business leaders argue that the prolonged absence of elected leadership has diminished the private sector's ability to engage effectively with the government at a time when industries are also grappling with falling export orders and broader economic headwinds.

At present, administrators are overseeing 12 chambers and 23 sectoral associations affiliated with the FBCCI, while the remaining trade organisations continue to operate under elected committees.

The FBCCI, the country's apex trade body, represents 535 affiliated organisations, including 88 chambers, 19 joint chambers and 428 sectoral associations.

The previous interim government appointed an administrator to the FBCCI on September 10, 2024, after then-president Mahbubul Alam resigned amid mounting pressure from a section of the business community following the political transition that removed the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Mahbubul Alam, who had assumed office in August 2023, stepped down a day earlier.

Industry insiders say the apex body has remained largely inactive since then, depriving businesses of an effective platform to raise sector-specific concerns with the government.

In a bid to end the impasse, the FBCCI Reform Council recently wrote to the commerce ministry, urging it to complete the election process and restore the organisation as a representative and effective institution.

In the letter, signed by the council's Member Secretary Md Zakir Hossain, the council urged the ministry to retain the provision allowing the FBCCI president, vice-presidents and executive committee members to be directly elected by the General Council.

It also recommended keeping the rule that requires office-bearers to take a one-term break after serving two consecutive terms.

The council further called for preserving the autonomy of chambers and associations by allowing them to operate under their own constitutions and restoring the annual membership fees of FBCCI-affiliated organisations to their previous levels.

According to the letter, former additional secretary Hafizur Rahman, who was appointed administrator in September 2024, held consultations with nearly all members of the FBCCI General Council and completed the long-awaited reform of the Trade Organisations Rules 2025.

Following the reforms, an Election Board and an Appeal Board were formed and an election schedule was announced. However, the council alleged that the process stalled after a writ petition challenged both the election and the implementation of the new rules.

It also claimed that certain vested interests later sought further amendments to the Trade Organisations Rules 2025 by submitting applications to the then commerce secretary.

The letter said meetings held on October 24 and December 8 between then commerce secretary Mahbubur Rahman and FBCCI General Council leaders produced a consensus on key amendments, including retaining direct elections for the FBCCI leadership and limiting the mandatory one-term break to the apex body while allowing other chambers and associations to continue operating under their respective constitutions.

Speaking to the Daily Sun, Zakir Hossain said the election could be held if the commerce ministry took the necessary steps.

"The election can be held if the commerce ministry wants. The FBCCI has been inactive for around two years. Now there is no administrator either, as Abdur Rahim Khan's tenure has ended. We are trying our best to hold the election, but we are not getting cooperation from the commerce ministry," he said.

He also suggested appointing an administrator from the private sector instead of a government official.

Referring to the legal challenge, Zakir said one of the key demands in the writ petition was to reduce the annual membership fees.

According to him, the annual fee for association members was increased from Tk35,000 to Tk75,000 in 2025, while chamber members saw their fees rise from Tk40,000 to Tk100,000.

Immediate past FBCCI administrator Md Abdur Rahim Khan told the Daily Sun that his tenure ended on June 26 and that a new administrator was likely to be appointed soon.

He noted that administrators are generally assigned to organise elections within four months, but polls in business organisations have been delayed because of legal disputes and court cases.

Former FBCCI vice-president Nizamuddin Rajesh said the absence of elected leadership had particularly affected small businesses.

"We have no platform to present our problems to the government. More than 80 percent of FBCCI members are small businesses, so it is essential that their voices are heard," he said.

Rajesh also said administrators cannot effectively lead business organisations and warned that the government's ambitious revenue target for FY27 would be difficult to achieve without a strong and vibrant private sector.

"The newly elected government has set an ambitious revenue target in the FY27 budget. How will that target be achieved if the private sector remains weak? The private sector must be revived, and elections in all business organisations should be held without further delay," he added.