The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will have Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, managing director of Designtex Group, as its new president.
Rafiqul was elected president of the BGMEA by the board to serve out the remaining term after SM Mannan Kochi, who was elected president on 14th March, resigned today, 24th August.
The BGMEA board also chose Team Group Managing Director Abdullah Hil Rakib and Urmi Group Managing Director Asif Ashraf to serve as its senior vice president and vice president, respectively, during an emergency meeting that took place in a Dhaka hotel. As of this news report the emergency meeting is still ongoing.
Kochi will remain a director on the board while stepping down from his role due to personal reasons and his illness, according to a BGMEA leader. Rafiqul was chosen as the trade body’s senior vice president in the most recent election.
Kochi’s resignation comes after the Sheikh Hasina Government was overthrown earlier this month in a widespread protest. Kochi is also the general secretary of the Dhaka North City Awami League.
On 20th August, the Forum, the panel that was defeated in the election many months prior, demanded that the present board be dissolved and that a temporary committee be formed to supervise a credible, fair, and impartial election for the trade association.
The panel claimed in a letter to the Commerce Ministry that the BGMEA election, which took place in February of this year, was riddled with anomalies and that the Hasina Government of the time had a significant effect.
The panel leaders also said that Kochi was involved in carrying out attacks on students throughout their movement in July and August and had good ties to the ousted premier. He disappeared after the election of a new political administration.
Many lawsuits against Kochi have been launched since the Awami League Government was overthrown on 5th August, including one for murder.
