Economic Reporter :
The biennial election of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will be held today (Sunday) amid the surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths.
A total of 70 candidates from the two major panels- Sammilita Parishad and Forum- have finished their campaign and are ready to face the voting battle in Dhaka and Chattogram.
Faruque Hassan, Managing Director of Giant Group is leading the Sammilita Parishad in the election. He is a former Senior Vice-President of the BGMEA and also served as the President of the Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
Currently, Hassan serves as the honorary consul general of Greece in Bangladesh, while Freedom Fighter ABM Shamsuddin, Chairman and Managing Director of Hannan Group, has taken the helm of the Forum. He also is a former vice-president (Finance) of BGMEA.
According to the schedules, the voting will be held at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel and the BGMEA office in Chattogram, from 10 am to 7 pm.
As per the final lists, a total of 2,314 will vote to choose association office bearers: 1,853 voters from Dhaka and 461 from Chattogram.
The BGMEA election board has taken some cautionary measures to avoid risk of Coronavirus spread during the election, according to BGMEA officials.
They have decided to increase the vote casting time by three hours to 7 pm from the existing 4 pm to avoid a crowd of voters.
Besides, all preparations have been taken to follow health guidelines during vote casting.
This year, each panel has confirmed the list of its 35 members. Both the panels have picked up 26 candidates from the Dhaka region and nine candidates from the Chattogram region.
Meanwhile, election management board of BGMEA has taken a number of precautionary measures to avoid risks considering the overall situation. However, candidates are skeptical about bringing voters to the polls and reducing health risks.
“We are obliged to complete the election in accordance with the rules of the government and the government has also instructed to follow the hygiene rules. The 16-point directive will be followed with utmost importance,” Professor Syed Farhat Anwar, Chairman of the Electoral Board said.
Leaders of two major coalitions, Sammilita Parishad and Forum are finally contesting in the election while a total of 70 candidates from the panels will vie for the posts of 35 directors of the BGMEA.
Faruk Hasan, Managing Director of Giant Textile, is heading the Sammilita Parishad panel and ABM Shamsuddin, Managing Director of Hannan Group, is heading the Forum panel of current BGMEA President Rubana Huq, who is also contesting in the election from the same panel.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam and several lawmakers have joined the Sammilita Parishad for one of the alliances, adding a different dimension to the election this year.
Abdus Salam Murshedy, former president of the BGMEA and coordinator of the Sammilita Prishad, and other leaders of the panel had earlier spoken against the biometric voter list while inaugurating the campaign office of Faruque Hassan, who is leading the panel this time.
The Sammilita Parishad and the Forum have been competing against each other in the BGMEA elections since the organisation’s inception. But in the last few elections, leaders have been elected through a compromise between the two councils.
