Faruque Hassan new BGMEA president

Sammilita Parishad bags most directorial posts

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Sammilita Parishad, the panel led by Faruque Hassan, managing director of Giant Group, has won the biennial election for the board of directors of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) for 2021-23.

The Parishad bagged 24 out of 35 directors’ posts, while the remaining 11 director posts were elected from the Forum panel, lea by ABM Shamsuddin, chairman of Hannan Group and a former vice-president of BGMEA.

Incumbent BGMEA President Rubuna Huq also contested the election.

The voting began on 9:00am and continued uninterrupted until 7:00pm, with more than 86% votes being cast from 1,996 voters, 86.56% of the total voters.

Hassan received 1,204 votes. 

Voting took places at the Hotel Radisson Blu in Dhaka and the BGMEA office in Chittagong.

The board of director of BGMEA is comprised of 35 directors, of which nine are from the Chittagong zone.

“We will work closely with the government and the European Union to retain duty-free market access in the region up to 2031, after the LDC graduation in 2026. It is possible through apparel diplomacy," said Faruque Hassan, in his post-win reaction.

"My vision of BGMEA is to ensure that it becomes an organization that prioritizes service delivery for its members, where its members can receive them without any hassle," he also said.

The BGMEA should work as a united force for all apparel manufacturers of Bangladesh, irrespective of their stature, Hassan also said.

The newly-elected president also said that it is a challenging time for the world, for Bangladesh and particularly for the apparel sector due to the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.

"My main agenda is to ensure financial support and backup from both the government and Bangladesh Bank to tackle the ongoing second and third wave, which is already hitting us badly," he added.

A total of 1,604 voters are in Dhaka and 392 in Chittagong. 

The new board will take over on April 20.