Online Desk:  The election of the Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) for the tenure of 2024-2026 will be held on Saturday.

This year the election is being held to elect the board of directors of BGAPMEA, an organisation working actively with the BGMEA to earn the lion share of foreign exchange by garment accessories.

Ahead of the election the leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) called upon voters in the ‘Garments Accessories’ sector to cast their votes to elect honest and strong leadership.

They said this while speaking at an event organised ahead of the election to the board of Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) for the tenure of 2024-2026.

Md. Siddiqur Rahman, former president of BGMEA and also Industry and Trade Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, called upon voters to cast their vote for businessmen who have links with the government.

“If you see any unfairness, please let me know. I will take action immediately,” he also said.

BGMEA president SM Mannan Kochi also echoed Siddiqur Rahman. “We all have to work together to develop the industry and flourish the country’s economy. So dynamic leadership is important here,” he also said.

The BGAPMEA board of directors’ election is scheduled to be held on May 11 (Saturday) for first time in the 33-year history of the association. Earlier selection was made to form a committee. But the government appointed an administrator to operate in the association and elect a board by direction election.

Active Members Union (AMU), an election panel of the BGAPMEA has committed to building  a smart business organisation if they are elected in the upcoming election.

“We have been playing a significant role in readymade garments (RMG) exports of the country. We contribute 18 percent of total $47 billion RMG export,” AMU panel leader and Managing Director of Poly Plan Limited Nasirul Alam said.

“We want to build a smart and competent organisation, if our panel is elected by the vote of BGAPMEA members,” he said.

Mentioning “No Selection, Only Election”, he also placed a good number of commitments there.

“We will create a monitoring cell to get uninterrupted electricity and gas, try to increase the bonding period 3 years from the current 1 year, special zone for the Narayangj region, and build a research cell to create a new market by diversified products,” said Nasirul.

Jamil Ahmed, chief of the core committee of the panel, said that if he wins in the election, his main goal will be to protect the interests of businessmen in the industry.

“I will try cordially to resolve the complexities of customs, bonds, and export incentives for the sake of our members,” he also said.

Member of the Parliament (MP) Dhaka-18 Md. Khosru Chowdhury, MP of Brahmanbaria-5, Faizur Rahman Badal, MP of Brahmanbaria-4 Nasir Uddin, BGMEA Vice President Abdullah Hil Rakib, Former President BGAPMEA Md Iqbal Hossain and also many business leaders from BGMEA, BKMEA, BGBA and BGAPMEA of Dhaka and Chittagong were present on the occasion.