New BGMEA president vows to unite all

Giant Group Managing Director Faruque Hassan, who is set to be the next president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has vowed to unite all apparel makers to face challenges and help the sector grow further.

"We will address the challenges the sector has been facing from the fallouts of the Covid-19 pandemic," said Faruque in his immediate reaction after the announcement of the result of the election to the BGMEA.

Sammilito Parishad, led by Faruque Hassan, on Sunday won the biennial election, securing 24 posts of directors out of 35. His rival ABM Shamsuddin-led Forum panel secured 11 director posts.

"We want to 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," the next BGMEA president said.

"My vision is to ensure service delivery for BGMEA members without any hassle," he also said.

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

Around 86% or 1,996 members of the BGMEA cast votes in the BGMEA polls. Some 1,604 votes out of 1,852 were cast in Dhaka and 392 out of 461 votes were cast in Chattogram.

Faruque secured the highest 1,204 votes. BGMEA's current president Rubana Huq got the second highest number of votes, while Shamsuddin lost in the vote battle.

The BGMEA election board, led by Syed Farhat Anwar, announced the results on Sunday night after day-long voting.

According to BGMEA sources, the elected directors will pick a president and seven vice-presidents on 16 April. The new BGMEA board will take charge on 20 April for the next two years.

In a reaction, BGMEA current president Dr Rubana Huq congratulated the newly elected president and vowed to cooperate with him in the coming days for the betterment of the industry.