Demand for BGMEA polls grows as faction opposes term extension

FE Report

A faction of apparel makers has reiterated the demand for holding an election to the board of apparel markers' apex body.

The ministry of commerce extended the term of the current board of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) by another year. The trade body's election was supposed to be held on March 7 this year.

The demand came from Shadhinata Parishad, a newly-floated platform, at a press conference in Dhaka.

The government has extended the term of the current office bearers twice since the two-year period of the existing board expired on September 21 last year.

Speaking at the programme, Parishad convener and managing director of Design & Source Ltd Md Zahangir Alam said, "The BGMEA has become an ineffective organisation as the leadership of the trade body hasn't been chosen for long through elections."

He said the Shadhinata Parishad was formed on January 11, 2018 and decided to compete in the BGMEA election.

But when the leaders of the platform went to collect nomination papers from the BGMEA headquarters on January 28 and 29, they came to know that the present board applied to the ministry for extension of its term, which wasn't legitimate, he added.

The Parishad's convener also called for holding extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the BGMEA immediately to take opinions of general members regarding the election.

Responding to a query, he, however, threatened to take legal action against the extension.

During the BGMEA elections in 2015, the two platforms of the garment factory owners-Sammilita Parishad and Forum-reached a consensus that Md Siddiqur Rahman would be the president from the Sammilita Parishad for the 2015-2017 tenure, while the next president would be selected from the Forum for the period 2017-2019.

Shahidul Islam, a leader of the Forum, was supposed to be selected as the president of the trade body for 2018-2020 terms according to the consensus.

As per the schedule, the election board has already published the preliminary voters' list of the BGMEA to hold polls on March 7 this year. The Parishad convener presided over the press conference.

Ansarul Alam of Azra Enterprise, Humayun Rashid of Olira Fashions, Ayesha Akter of Waymart Apparels, and Shahidur Rahman of Nova Apparels were also present at the conference.

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