The biennial election of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) scheduled for July 31 is going to be an exercise to maintain a formality since a majority of the directors have already been nominated and elected unopposed. 

Of the total 80 posts of the directors, 34 -- 17 from the chamber group and 17 from the association group -- are nominated and the rest 46 are elected, with 23 coming from the chamber group and 23 from the association group.

This year, 16 directors from the chamber group and the same number of directors from the association group have been nominated after two directors from each group were disqualified for a number of reasons.

Moreover, the election of the chamber group will not take place as four out of 27 valid candidates withdrew their candidacy against 23 posts, allowing the remaining contestants to be elected unopposed.

As a result, the election will take place at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on July 31 only in the association group in order to pick 23 directors.

In the election, Mahbubul Alam, the representative of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is running in the election under the Sammilito Oikko Parishad panel while Mir Nizam Uddin Ahmed is contesting under the Sammilito Baboshayee Parishad panel.

As per the rules of the apex trade body of Bangladesh, the chamber group and the association group get the chance to elect their nominee as the president in an alternate term.

So, the next president will come from the chamber group, which is being led by Mahbubul Alam.

This is because all 32 nominated directors are backing Alam and his panel has also won all 23 posts of the directors up for grabs in the chamber group unopposed.

In total, Alam's panel has already won 55 posts against a total of 78.

Alam could not be reached for comments.

Md Amin Helaly, vice-president of the FBCCI, said it would have been better if all candidates contested in the election, but this would not be possible this year since four candidates withdrew their candidatures.

He said the FBCCI mainly targets to choose qualified business leaders who are capable of deal with the challenges facing the business community. Nearly 85 per cent of the economy is controlled by the private sector.

"The FBCCI needs leadership for taking the economy to the next level."

A number of former and incumbent leaders of the federation believe the nominated and elected directors will be able to deal with the challenges confronting the economy.

Mir Nizam Uddin Ahmed, the representative of the Bangladesh Electrical Association, said he and his panel members were also offered the opportunity to be elected unopposed.

"But we declined to accept the offer. Our panel has decided to participate in the election because there is no glory in winning in an unopposed election process."

Md Ali Zaman, president of the SME Owners Association of Bangladesh, who contested the election last time, said many are interested in contesting in the polls but sometimes they can't do so for various reasons.

He did not specify the reasons.

There are 2,500 voters this year. The winning 78 directors will elect one president, one senior vice-president, and six vice-presidents for the 2023-25 tenure.