After being failed to form an election board for holding the biannual election 2023-25, once again the BGMEA current board has sought further tenure extension from the commerce ministry.
In a letter on Sunday, BGMEA sought a six-month extension to avoid appointment of administrator as they failed to form the election board on time as per Department of Trade Organization (DTO) directives for electing the next leadership.
If any trade organisation fails to form an election board within the stipulated time, the government may appoint an administrator to the apex body, according to Section 14 of Trade Organisation Act-2022.
Sources said that the commerce ministry will forward the letter to the law ministry to scrutinise the possibility of extending the tenure as the trade organisation rules do not allow the extension for the second time. If the law ministry does not find any legal ground for the extension, either the government will appoint an administrator to the BGMEA or amend the rule.
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.
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.
Though the deadline expired on July 10 this year, BGMEA neither formed any election board nor called the board meeting regarding the issue.
Amid the situation, top leaders of the ruling Sommilito Porishod panel held a meeting in the capital on August 12 to find a solution. The meeting ended without any concrete decision in this regard. The next meeting will be held after getting the commerce ministry’s feedback.
Insiders said that Tushuka’s Managing Director (MD) Arshad Jamal Dipu, Classic Fashion Concept MD Shahidullah Azim and Seha Design Chairman SM Mannan Kochi want to stand as presidential candidates in the next BGMEA polls from Sommilito Porishod. They stick to their decision about presidential candidates.
That is why Sommilito Porishod failed to announce the name of their panel leader even three months after the expiry of the first six-month tenure. As the ruling panel failed to select their panel leader’s name, they delayed in forming the election board and seeking tenure extension repeatedly, insiders said.
On the other hand, opposition panel Forum announced Savartex group MD Faisal Samad’s name as their panel leader for the next polls.
“We will announce the name of our panel leader after getting decision from the commerce ministry. I think we will come to know it by this week,” a former president of BGMEA, also senior leader of Sommilito Porishod, said.
