Repeated Postponements of Chittagong Chamber Elections: Who is Behind It?

In the popular Bangladesh Television magazine show Ittyadi, Kangalini Sufia once sang, "O friend of my soul, I have grown old because of you." The current state of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI), the country’s oldest trade organization, as if mirrors this sentiment. The organization has been without an elected committee for over 20 months, with the election repeatedly stalled by unexpected lawsuits. 

For the past eight months, the CCCI election has been trapped in legal complications. Following High Court orders, the long-awaited election of this century-old traditional trade body was postponed five times. The name that has repeatedly surfaced behind this prolonged deadlock is Muhammad Belal Hossain, a garment accessories supplier. An arbitration tribunal recently dismissed Belal’s application, labeling his actions "questionable." The tribunal further observed that he has no "legal right" or "legal interest" to file such an application.

The High Court had previously directed the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) to settle the applications of Belal and two others through its own arbitration tribunal. After a hearing, the tribunal reached its conclusion. Alongside Belal, the two other applicants were S.M. Nurul Huq, a panel leader of a group contesting the election, and Azizul Huq, a member of the same group.
Who is Mr. Belal?

According to case documents and tribunal information, Muhammad Belal has identified himself as a general member of the Chittagong Chamber and the proprietor of a firm named "Herbis Converting Limited." However, contradictory information regarding his organizational identity emerged during the hearings. At times, he claimed to be a general member, and at others, the general secretary of a specific trade group (Chittagong Garment Accessories Group). The tribunal dismissed his application on the grounds that the same individual cannot represent two different membership categories.

Despite the court's observations, Muhammad Belal remained undeterred. "Even though my application was dismissed, the tribunal understood my true intent," he stated. "Under the previous government, a syndicate monopolized the leadership of the Chittagong Chamber. Now that we have rescued the Chamber from that dire state, a new circle is following the same path. By representing a genuine organization, I was strategically excluded from the trade group to keep me out of the election."

When asked if he was attempting to provide an advantage to a specific party by delaying the election through litigation, Belal replied, "I am not contesting the election. Whom would I give an extra advantage to?"

Notably, Belal’s elder brother, S.M. Mohammad Ayub, is seeking to contest the election under Nurul Huq's banner.
Legal Battles and the Nature of Allegations

Mr. Belal initially sought to contest the election from the Trade Group category, but the Chittagong Chamber Election Board rejected his application. Since September 2025, he has launched a series of legal challenges in both the High Court and arbitration tribunals. His primary allegations concern the voter list and the election schedule; he claims the voter list was prepared without following the Trade Organization Rules. Based on these allegations, the electoral process has been repeatedly stalled.
Strict Observations from the Tribunal

The FBCCI Tribunal detailed the reasons for dismissing Belal's application in several specific paragraphs. The tribunal noted that Belal is not a member of the Town Association or the Trade Groups whose voter lists he challenged. Consequently, he has no direct legal interest in those categories. In his first lawsuit against the Chittagong Chamber, Belal identified himself as a General Member. Later, in another case, he shifted his position and identified himself as a representative of a Trade Group. The court criticized this tendency to repeatedly change identities to gain advantage, questioning how one person could represent two different classes of membership.

On October 23, 2025, he first applied to withdraw his complaint. However, in a dramatic turn just three days later on October 26, he reapplied, stating that he had sought to withdraw it by mistake. Additionally, he filed Case No. 12/2025 with the FBCCI Tribunal on the same matter, while simultaneously filing Writ Petition No. 16976/2025 in the High Court Division and Leave to Appeal No. 57/2026 in the Appellate Division.

Two panels are competing in the Chittagong Chamber this time. One is the United Business Forum, led by former FBCCI Director Amirul Haque. The other is Samamona Parishad, led by former Senior Vice President of the Chittagong Chamber, S.M. Nurul Huq.

According to the last announced schedule, 24 directors were supposed to be elected across four categories on April 4. Those directors would then vote to elect the President, Senior Vice President, and Vice President. However, in its latest verdict on April 22, the FBCCI Arbitration Tribunal canceled that schedule and directed that a direct election be held under a new schedule. Businessmen are now waiting to see what decision the High Court makes based on that ruling.