The decision by the apex garment makers’ body, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), to make digital membership mandatory for voting in the 2021-2023 term election is said to have done away with in the face of a section of the trade body members opposing the move.
According to media reports which cited sources from within the BGMEA, a group of influential members opposed the provision — the BGMEA election board in its schedule earlier included a provision for attesting voter nomination letter and taxpayer identification number by lien banks as a result of which a member who was not engaged in the export business could not vote in the elections — and demanded reinstatement of voting powers for all members who had paid the subscription fees and were in possession of updated trade licences, income tax certificates besides calling for doing away with mandatory digital membership for voting (in the upcoming election) as they maintained that considering the time constraint, making biometric identity cards for all members, before the election, would not be possible.
Speaking to the media, BGMEA Senior Vice-President Faruque Hassan, who is, reportedly, also contesting the upcoming BGMEA polls (is the panel leader of Sammilita Parishad), maintained that many members of the apparel makers’ body had opposed the decision of making digital membership cards mandatory for voting considering the time constraint.
Before election, all the members will not be able to include themselves in the biometric database as some of the factory owners are staying overseas, reportedly, stated Faruque while underlining that the work to make a digital database of members started a week ago.