FBCCI members demand dissolution of board within 48hrs

General council members of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) have demanded that the current board of directors be dissolved and an administrator appointed.

They made the demand during a human chain in front of the FBCCI building at Motijheel in Dhaka today. 

"Even though the tyrant has fled, her accomplices are still on the board of directors of FBCCI," said Abul Quasem Haider, former FBCCI vice-president, also the coordinator of the general council. 

The current board of FBCCI must resign within 48 hours, Haider said. "If they do not step down within this period, I urge the chief adviser to the interim government to dissolve the board and appoint an administrator."

An administrator must be appointed to ensure a free, fair, and impartial election, he said. "The individuals elected through this vote will then manage the FBCCI, which has turned into a unit of a political party; it is no longer an organisation for businesspeople."

For the past 15 years, the activities of FBCCI in business, industry, commerce, and services have not been genuinely managed but were influenced by an unelected, one-party authoritarian regime to fulfil personal interests and political agendas, Haider said.

Haider said, "Today, the banking sector in Bangladesh has become severely constrained. A single family, through S Alam, has ruined 10-12 banks. These banks are struggling to survive and are slowly dying.

"We are not getting money from the banks. Even when we do, we have to pay an interest rate of 15%-16%. We have to pay such high interest because some dishonest businesspeople have looted and syphoned money, embezzling funds. Now, the interest on this looted money is being taken from ordinary businesspeople.

"We still can't properly make LC (letter of credit) payments because of this bank looting. The current FBCCI board is an accomplice to this looting. FBCCI directors are directly involved in this bank looting."

Pointing to FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, FBCCI's former director Anwar Hossain said, "He was elected unopposed. During the student movement, he shamelessly supported the then government, saying, 'We are with the government.' Now, in various places, he is telling members of the interim government, 'We are with you.' These people are accomplices of the devil. We have already given them a 48-hour ultimatum to resign. No leniency will be shown to them."

Around 200 business people including Small and Medium Enterprises Owners Association of Bangladesh President Md Ali Zaman, Bangladesh Charcoal Manufacturers and Exporters Association Senior Vice President Atikur Rahman took part in the human chain.