HC issues ruling to reinstate 26 FBCCI employees

The High Court (HC) has issued a ruling, directing the commerce ministry and the FBCCI to reinstate the 26 apex trade body employees who were allegedly forced to resign.

The three respondents to the ruling – the commerce secretary, the director general of the commerce ministry’s DTO Wing, and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president – have been asked to respond within four weeks.

A joint bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Akhtaruzzaman issued the ruling on August 28 after hearing a petition filed by the victims.

The court would decide the next step as per the law if the FBCCI does not respond within the stipulated time, said victim Md Rafiqul Islam.

Barrister SM Atikur Rahman, an advocate of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, stood for the plaintiff while Deputy Attorney General Nawroz Md Rasel Chowdhury and three assistant attorney generals – MMG Sarwar (Payel), Masud Rana Mohammad Hafiz, and Tamanna Ferdous – represented the state.

The victims said former FBCCI president Sheikh Fazle Fahim in October 2020 forced 62 employees of the trade body to resign.

“Only 12 of the 62 were recently reappointed while two died. Some of the rest were paid only 20 per cent of their salaries and allowances,” Rafiqul said.

He said many were not paid any service benefit, except for a nominal amount from the provident fund. “26 of the 62 people filed the petition.”

Rafiqul further said an employee can work at the FBCCI for up to 35 years as per the rules.

Present FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin could not be reached for comments on the matter.