Mahmud Hasan Khan, managing director of Rising Fashions, has formally been announced as panel leader of Forum, a panel of the country's garment makers, for the BGMEA elections.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at an event held at a city hotel ahead of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association's elections.
President and general secretary of Forum panel 鈥� Abdus Salam and Rashid Ahmed Hossaini 鈥� BGMEA former presidents Rubana Huq and Anwarul Alam Chowdhury, among others, were present at the event.
Forum and Sammilito Parishad, another panel, traditionally compete in the elections to the apparel apex body BGMEA. Sammilito Parishad was yet to announce its panel.
On October 20, the commerce ministry dissolved the Board of BGMEA in line with provision 17 of the Trade Organisations Act, 2022 and appointed Export Promotion Bureau vice-chairman Md Anwar Hossain as administrator of BGMEA.
According to the commerce ministry circular, the administrator will hold a free and fair election within 120 days and hand over the responsibilities to the newly elected body of BGMEA.
On August 24, Designtex Group managing director Khandoker Rafiqul Islam was elected as president of BGMEA following the resignation of SM Mannan Kochi who was elected BGMEA president on March 14 for the term of 2024-26.
The BGMEA board then elected Rafiqul Islam as president of the trade body.
In August, during a press conference, a group of BGMEA members, led by panel Forum, demanded the dissolution of the current board of the trade body, alleging that BGMEA failed to provide proper directives to its members, who faced difficulties operating factories during the students' movement, and especially after the turmoil stemming from the government change, labour unrest, and flood situation.
They also alleged that the BGMEA election held in February this year was marred by irregularities and Mannan Kochi had good relations with the deposed prime minister and was involved in carrying out attacks on students during their movement in July and August.
