Online Desk: BGMEA, the apex trade body in the apparel sector, has formed a board to conduct its election due in March next year, according to a statement.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will elect new directors for the terms of 2024-26.

At a meeting of the BGMEA board of directors held on Monday, an election appellate board was also formed. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan presided over the meeting,

According to the Trade Organisation Rules 1994 and Articles of Association of BGMEA, a three-member election board and an appeal board with an equal number of members would have to be formed 90 days before its term ends.

Headed by Jahangir Alamin, former President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), the election board will comprise Shomi Kaiser, vice president of FBCCI and president of E-commerce Association of Bangladesh, and ASM Nayeem, former president of ICAB, said the statement.

The election appellate board will be headed by Kamran T Rahman, president of MCCI. Other members are FBCCI vice president and director Khairul Huda Chopol and Nizamuddin Rajesh.

The election board will announce the election schedule at least 80 days before the election date.

As per the rules, BGMEA election will be held at least 15 days before the expiry of the existing board.

The biennial elections to the BGMEA board for the tenure of 2021-23 was held on April 4, 2021 and office-bearers were elected on April 12 in 2021.

The tenure of the board was supposed to end on April 12 this year but the government extended the tenure of the current board by one year in two phases.

On April 13 this year, the commerce ministry extended the tenure of the BGMEA current board for six months to October 12 in response to the request of the current board seeking an extension.

Later, the ministry once again extended the tenure of the current executive committee by an additional six months to April 12, 2024.