The Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB), a professional body representing journalists covering the country’s power and energy sector, has elected M Azizur Rahman Ripon, special correspondent of The Financial Express, as its new chairman.
Serajul Islam Siraj, chief reporter of barta24.com, was elected executive director.
The vote was held during the organisation’s biennial general meeting at Bidyut Bhaban, the headquarters of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), in Dhaka. The session was presided over by the outgoing chairman, Md Shamim Jahangir.
Forty members cast ballots to elect a nine-member executive committee for a two-year term.
Ripon secured 22 votes, defeating his rival Shahin Chowdhury, who received 18. In the contest for executive director, the incumbent Siraj was returned to office with 28 votes, while his opponent, Lutfur Rahman Kakon, received 12.
The newly elected executive committee also includes Hasan Azad, senior reporter at Daily Kalbela, as vice chairman; Fazle Rabbi, special correspondent at Charcha, as director for development and finance; and Abu Taher, deputy chief reporter at Daily Banik barta, as director for research and training.
Sajeeb Ahmed, senior reporter at Daily Kaler Kantho, was elected director for data bank, while Atiqur Rahman Faisal, senior reporter at Daily Ajker Patrika, will serve as director for entertainment and welfare.
Jannatul Ferdousi Shobha of Deshkal News and Mahbub Rony of Daily Ittefaq were elected as members. The election was overseen by Saiful Hasan Chowdhury, former public relations director of BPDB, who served as chief election commissioner. He was assisted by Shamim Hasan, BPDB’s incumbent public relations director, and Tariqul Islam Khan, deputy general manager of Petrobangla, the state-owned oil and gas corporation.