According to sources, the new rules may reduce the total number of FBCCI directors to below 50. The number of appointed directors may be reduced to 12.

Currently, are 80 directors on the FBCCI board, with 34 appointed. Seventeen are nominated by the chamber group (various chambers), and the remaining 17 are nominated by the association group (trade organizations). The rest are directly elected.

After the August 5 mass uprising, demands for reforms also arose within the FBCCI. The then-president, Mahbubul Alam, resigned from the president's position. On September 11, the Ministry of Commerce dissolved the FBCCI board. Md Hafizur Rahman, a member of the Bangladesh Competition Commission, was appointed as an administrator. He was tasked with organizing a free and fair election within 120 days and handing over the responsibility to the newly elected board.

However, the reforms are incomplete after five months, and the election has not been held.

Sources say the reforms are being completed based on the law. The government started drafting the new Trade Organization Act 2023 rules in response to their demands. Once the rules are finalized, the FBCCI election will be held.

According to reform-seeking members of the FBCCI, they want the leadership of the country's top business organization to be truly representative of real businessmen. The number of elected and appointed directors on the FBCCI board has recently increased to 80. The president and vice president were also elected from these 80 directors in the last election.

The biggest controversy has been over the appointed directors. Sources say that many directors appointed from various chambers and associations were chosen based on their connection to the government. There are also allegations of manipulation in the appointment process by creating fake organizations. These appointed directors played a key role in electing the organization's president. The former prime minister's office often decided the president; everyone was instructed to vote for the chosen individual. The directors' votes elected the president and vice president, but the decision on who to vote for came from the prime minister's office.

FBCCI members cite the 2019 election as an example. In that election, Sheikh Fazle Fahim represented the Gopalganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the Chamber Group. With votes from appointed directors, he became the organization's president and held that position until 2021.

After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, FBCCI members have strongly demanded an end to such practices. In response to their demands, work is underway to draft new rules for the trade organization.

Members of the FBCCI’s anti-discrimination reform committee have shared their views. They want to abolish the practice of appointed directors, limit the board to 35-40 members and have direct elections for the president, vice president, and directors. They also propose that a director take a break after serving two terms.

In an interview, Mohammad Zakir Hossain Noyon, the convener of the FBCCI’s anti-discrimination reform council, told Bonik Barta, "We want a complete overhaul of the previous election system. Previously, the general body of the organization couldn't vote. Now, we want the president to be elected through direct voting. This way, each presidential candidate must go to the general members. They will present their election manifesto and work according to it, fulfilling the promises after being elected. This will ensure accountability. The general body will also have access to the president, which is impossible under the existing system. This is our key proposal. Everyone, including the president and vice president, must be elected through direct voting. They must be the leaders of the general members. Imposed leaders are not acceptable."

The reform advocates also propose decentralizing the president’s power. Under the current system, the president holds absolute power. There are also important proposals regarding voter eligibility. Over the past 15 years, people without a trade license have been made members of the organization. This has led to an institutional crisis within the FBCCI over the past 16-17 years. To overcome this situation, they are calling for fundamental reforms.

An active member of the FBCCI, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Bonik Barta, “If someone is elected more than twice, they should take a break. It has been observed that some directors have served seven or nine terms. They haven't contributed to the welfare of the country or the nation. That’s why change is needed. In the past system, incompetent individuals became directors multiple times and created fake voters for their benefit by spending money. Using these methods, 417 organizations were made members, of which 200 have no activity or need. For example, the Bangladesh Flat Owners Association. Its members don’t even have a trade license. How are they becoming FBCCI members? These organizations must be legally excluded. This can be done through the Trade Organization Act 2023.”

After taking office, FBCCI administrator Md Hafizur Rahman reviewed these demands from members and sent 12 proposals for reform to the Ministry of Commerce. The proposals suggest removing politics from all trade organizations and recommending direct elections for the president, vice president, and directors. It also proposes reducing the number of directors and limiting the office bearers' positions to a maximum of four. The proposal also suggests abolishing the provision for appointed directors. If appointed directors are to be kept, the number must be specified, and they should not have voting rights. Additionally, to ensure genuine business representation in the federation, clear criteria must be established for membership in the general assembly.

When asked about the reform proposals, former senior vice president of FBCCI, Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, told Bonik Barta, "During our 2021-23 term, we had a reform proposal. It stated that the same person has been a director for a long time, which prevents new leadership from emerging. That’s why the proposal for a break is good. This should not only be for FBCCI but for all trade organizations. The plan to reduce the number of directors is also correct. Because having so many directors is unnecessary. Most directors only aim to become CIP (Commercially Important Persons). They do not work, don’t contribute their time or knowledge, and don’t add value. Therefore, the number of directors should be reduced. We proposed sector-based directors and, for chambers, a division-based system. For example, there are ten chambers in the Rangpur division, and they should elect three members through voting. This would help avoid vote trading. I don’t know if these proposals are being accepted."

Sources from the Ministry of Commerce have stated that, based on consultations with the trade adviser, the FBCCI members’ proposals have been considered, and the rule-making process is in the final stages. In the draft rule, it was initially proposed to reduce the number of directors in the FBCCI board from 80 to 68. It was also proposed that the appointed directors be reduced from 34 to four. The draft suggests that there should be one president, one senior vice president, and three vice presidents from both the Chamber and Association groups, totaling six vice presidents.

According to sources from the Ministry of Commerce and FBCCI, members initially demanded that there should be no nominated directors. However, this demand has been slightly modified. The draft of the trade organization rules has also changed. The latest decision is that the number of nominated directors may be a maximum of 12. Six will come from chambers, including one from a women's chamber or organization. According to BBS statistics, the remaining six will be nominated from sector-based organizations based on GDP contributions. Additionally, any individual who has served two consecutive terms must take at least one term off. Furthermore, direct elections will be introduced in all cases.

When asked about this, FBCCI administrator Md Hafizur Rahman told Bonik Barta, "There are changes in the rules. For example, direct elections must be held in all cases. The number of directors will also be reduced. The work on finalizing the rules, including these changes, is in the final stage."

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) plays an advisory role in negotiations with the government to protect the interests of the private sector. FBCCI was established under the Trade Organization Ordinance and Company Law in 1973. A total of 26 people have served as FBCCI president until 2024. The organization is accused of not fulfilling its role properly over the past 51 years. Especially in the last 16-17 years, the organization has been criticized for acting as a tool to implement the agenda of the ruling party and the government, becoming subservient to the former prime minister.

Mir Nasir Hossain served as the president of FBCCI from 2005 to 2007. He believes the large number of board members has made the FBCCI ineffective. He told Bonik Barta, "The current number of board members is too high, making it ineffective. It needs to be reduced to an acceptable level. If we consider associations or sectors that contribute significantly to the national economy or GDP, we can reduce the number of directors by half. The idea of a break for those elected twice in a row is correct. The main issue is that membership should be genuine. People who are not real members influence the voting process. Nowadays, many organizations are being formed within the same sector. If sector-based considerations were considered, the entire process would be more accurate."

According to sources in the Ministry of Commerce, the interim government has initiated reforms to transform the organization into a true representative of businesspeople.

When asked when the rules would be finalized, Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, Director-General (additional secretary) of the Trade Organization Division at the Ministry of Commerce, told Bonik Barta, "The rules for the Trade Organization Act are being finalized after discussions with all concerned parties. This work is nearly complete, and I hope it will be finished by the end of this month."

Former FBCCI president AK Azad believes representatives should be elected based on sectoral organizations. He told Bonik Barta, "We proposed a reform plan. We wanted a solution through sectoral representation. Now, that's not happening. Too many unnecessary organizations have been created. Sector-based organizations should first elect their representatives. These elected representatives will then be nominated for FBCCI. That way, there will be proper representation, similar to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. I believe representatives from each sector should elect their own representatives. This reform would free FBCCI from politics and truly represent businesspeople. Otherwise, whoever comes to power will use it as a political tool, keeping businesspeople under the government's control."