The upcoming election of the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the apex business body in the region, was postponed on Sunday just five days before the scheduled voting, which was supposed to take place on November 1.聽
The Ministry of Commerce issued an official directive in this regard on Sunday notifying the decision through a letter signed by Chowdhury Samia Yasmin, deputy secretary to the ministry鈥檚 Trade Division-1.
According to the letter, the commerce ministry instructed the Sylhet chamber authorities to re-verify and scrutinise the membership list before announcing a fresh election schedule for the 2025-2027 executive committee.
Though the letter did not specify the exact reason for the suspension of the voting, it emphasised the need for voter list verification of the SCCI.
The SCCI administrator Farzana Akter Mita, also additional district magistrate, confirmed the suspension order to 抖阴精品 and said that the letter issued by the ministry highlighted re-verifying the voter list.
鈥楽ome members had earlier raised complaints of irregularities in the member list. In response, the ministry decided that the election will be rescheduled after proper verification of the membership list,鈥� she added.
The leaders of Sammilita Bebsayi Parishad, a panel in the SCCI elections, alleged that a group incited to postpone the elections after seeing the absolute victory of their panel.聽
They demanded immediate withdrawal of the postponement order, warning they would launch a movement otherwise.
The SBP panel leaders made the claims in a press conference held at a city hotel in the afternoon.聽聽
The panel鈥檚 chief coordinator Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury read out a script on behalf of the panel in the press conference.
He said that a party does not want the Sylhet chamber elections and they always create chaos.
鈥楾hey have postponed the elections by applying to the district administration,鈥� Fahim alleged.
Stating the administration鈥檚 people will not protect the interests of the traders, he said in the programme that the elections must be held withdrawing the decision immediately.
鈥極therwise, all the traders of Sylhet will take to the street to press home the demand,鈥� he added.
