The interim government on Sunday appointed Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Vice Chairman Md Anwar Hossain as the administrator to the country's apex apparel body, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
The Ministry of Commerce issued a circular in this regard dissolving the Board of BGMEA in line with the provision 17 of the Trade Organizations Act, 2022.
According to the circular, the administrator will hold a free and fair election within 120 days and hand over the responsibilities to the newly elected body of the BGMEA.
He will also appraise the development to the ministry accordingly.
Earlier on August 24, Designtex Group Managing Director Khandoker Rafiqul Islam was elected as the president of BGMEA following the resignation of SM Mannan Kochi.
Mannan Kochi was elected BGMEA president on March 14 for the term of 2024-26.
The BGMEA board then elected Rafiqul Isalm as the president of the trade body for the remaining period of the term.
Earlier in August in a press conference, a group of BGMEA members, led by one of its panel forum, demanded dissolving the current boards of the trade body and the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology.
They alleged that the BGMEA failed to provide proper directives to its members who faced difficulties to operate factories during the students' movement, and especially after the turmoil stemming from the government change and prevailing flood situation.
Their allegation also included that BGMEA board, led by Mannan Kochi, took charge of the trade body through vote rigging and a fraudulent voter list.
In a separate memorandum, the section of BGMEA members, led by former vice-president Faisal Samad, claimed that S M Mannan Kochi opened fire on students during their protest on August 4.
They claimed that terrorists led by Mannan Kochi played a key role in suppressing and killing members of the anti-discrimination student movement in Uttara and Mirpur areas of the city.
The board and the president even did not issue a condolence message, despite the deaths of hundreds of students and people during the movement, they noted in the memorandum.
The memorandum accused Awami League MP Salam Murshedy, Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, current Industry and Commerce Affairs Secretary Siddiqur Rahman, and Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam of shamefully participating in vote rigging with their respective forces.
They demanded immediate resignation and dissolution of the board and called for the appointment of an interim non-political board to conduct a fair election with a fresh voter list.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com