As the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) failed to form an election board within the deadline to hold the biennial polls 2023-25, the government either has to appoint an administrator or make an amendment to Trade Organisation Act-2022 to resolve the crisis.
As per the act and directives as well as the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association’s (BGMEA) charter, the board of directors was bound to form an election board and an election appeal board by July 10 this year.
But the BGMEA President Faruque Hassan-led board failed to form an election commission and an election appeal board before the deadline even though the two-year tenure expired three and a half months back.
If any trade organisation fails to form an election board within the stipulated time, the government appoints an administrator to the apex body, according to Section 14 of Trade Organisation Act-2022.
Rival Forum panel claimed that the ruling panel deliberately created a ‘constitutional and legal’ crisis. They also sent several letters to the BGMEA president and DTO regarding the issue.
In reply to a query about the issue, the BGMEA president said, “I have received their letters but yet to read them. I will send feedback them after reading the letters. As per the law and the DTO’s extension letter, we have missed the deadline to form an election board. We will talk to the government to find out the solution.”
Despite frequent efforts over phone, the officials concerned of the commerce ministry could not be reached for their comments in this regard.
On January 4 this year, the Faruque-led board proposed extending the tenure, but Forum directors opposed the move. As Forum members hold 10 director posts out of 35, it was a piece of cake for Sammilita Parishad to put forward the proposal and then send it to the commerce ministry for vetting.
On February 27, the DTO approved their extension for six months to October 12 this year and mentioned that no extension would be granted further. Even the regulatory body also gave directive in the approval letter to form a three-member election board within 90 days before the expiry of the new tenure.
During this time, Faruque told The Business Post that he was always with the election and the extension only for holy Ramadan. “We will form the election board on time as per the DTO directives.”
But BGMEA neither formed any election board nor called the board meeting regarding the issue.
“I have respect for the constitution and fellow board members and the faith in our honorable members who entrusted this president based on an election process has been lost with this violation of our constitution unfortunately today!” said Faisal Samad, one of the leaders of Forum panel.
BGMEA is led by two panels--Sammilita Parishad and Forum. Sammilita Parishad has mostly led the apex body for apparel in its history. It held the last polls on April 4, 2021 after an eight-year break. In six out of eight years, Sammilita Parishad and Forum took turns to lead the association through negotiations.
Forum leaders claimed that Sammilita Parishad leaders always try to show excuse for extending the tenure while in power and also succeed in their efforts.
But when they sought an extension on logical grounds, the former president’s forum rejected it because the majority of the latter came from Sammilita Parishad.
They also claimed when the Rubana Huq-led board nominated by them granted a six-month extension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the former president’s forum opposed it. But now the former president’s forum has accepted the Faruque-led board’s proposal with pleasure.
They also said the board, led by Siddiqur Rahman, who became the Sammilita Parishad president in 2015, served for nearly four years through extensions despite the initial two-year tenure while the former president’s forum and the commerce ministry approved the extensions.
