Govt appoints administrator to BGMEA

The government yesterday appointed Md Anwar Hossain, vice-chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), as administrator of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) after the resignation of the association's elected president, SM Mannan Kochi, on August 24.

Although a new board was formed after Kochi's resignation, the commerce ministry stated in a circular that the board was formed in a faulty manner.

Additionally, the reconstituted board failed to adequately address complaints raised by general members, prompting the government's decision.

The commerce ministry's circular cited the ongoing unrest in the country, including labour disputes, as affecting the economy.

Since the reconstituted board has been unable to effectively manage the situation, the government decided to step in and appoint an administrator to restore order, according to the circular.

Although a new board was formed after Kochi's resignation, the commerce ministry stated in a circular that the board was formed in a faulty manner

It has been noticed that businesses, industries, and services have not been running well because members of the organisation are not cooperating with each other, the circular also said.

According to the statement, the administrator will create the environment for a free, fair and credible election within 120 days of his appointment.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Hossain said he will join the BGMEA tomorrow [Monday] and would soon start having chats with the members to create an environment to hold elections.

"My first duty is to hold the elections and hand over charge to the elected representatives as soon as possible," Hossain also said.

In the election process, the BGMEA has two panels -- Forum and Sammilito Parishad.

The biennial general elections of the BGMEA were held on March 9 this year and leaders of the Sammilito Parishad won all 35 director posts in the controversial polls.

Ever since, members of the Forum panel have been protesting the credibility of the election and have sought fresh elections several times.

After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 this year, the Forum again demanded the resignation of Kochi and his board.

Eventually, on August 24, Kochi resigned and handed over charge to its acting president, Khandoker Rafiqul Islam.

The board was later reconstituted and Islam was made president.

However, massive labour unrest began in the latter part of August and continued until the first week of October, resulting in production losses of around $400 million.

Even before the elections were held, members of the Forum panel complained to the election board, demanding the cancellation of the preliminary voter list and the publication of a new one, as the tax files of 429 voters could not be found.

Checking the website of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the panel found that of the 2,315 voters who had been named in the list, 429 did not have a proper tax identification number (TIN) and other tax-related documents.

In order to become eligible voters, they must have proper tax documents.

The tenure of the immediate past elected board led by Faruque Hassan was extended for one year in two phases, citing the critical period the garment sector has been facing because of the severe fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the dollar crisis and internal problems.

When extending the board's tenure, many lawmakers who are also garment manufacturers and exporters, said they were uninterested in holding BGMEA elections before the national polls, slated for January of 2024.

On February 12 this year, the High Court ordered the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) to make a decision about more than 400 garments, which allegedly have no relevant documents for being voters in the upcoming BGMEA election.

In response to a writ petition, the court asked the arbitration tribunal of the FBCCI to dispose of the application that requested for correcting the voters' list prepared for BGMEA.

The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque issued the order and rule following the writ petition filed by Faisal Samad, owner of Surma Garments, seeking necessary directives.

BGMEA is the largest trade body in the country. Its members contribute more than 84 percent to national exports and employ more than four million workers.