NEWS reports on Monday said that all the past presidents of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have decided to select the next leadership for the next two years from the two main panels without going for election and blocking room for third party candidates. Sammilita Parishad and Sammilita Forum have already reached a consensus on sharing the posts without elections but a good number of voters have expressed resentment towards the move. This year a total of 35 directors will be elected from the Dhaka and Chittagong zones in the polls scheduled on September 8. Under the consensus already reached, the leaders of the Sammilita Parishad will hold 19 directorship posts while the Forum leaders will get 16 posts, all apparently ruling party loyalists in business.The directors will select president and seven vice-presidents. As per negotiation, Sammilita Parishad leader will be president. Parishad would also get four vice-presidents and Forum leaders will get three vice-presidents. The government has reportedly given the green signal to selection of the BGMEA leaders avoiding election. But news reports said despite the negotiations over sharing of posts among the leaders of two major forums, some members may contest for the posts individually as they have already raised questions of accountability of the leaders who will not be elected. They fear that if the democratic right to choosing their leadership is denied but the experience of the FBCCI election earlier this year showed such chance remain very little in view of the government involvement in the process. The report has quoted a former president of BGMEA as saying that not election, selection is essential now to create a strong leadership for the industry which is passing through many challenges like relocation of the factories and improving the industrial situation with buyers abroad. But it remains open to question how the selection will be able to create strong elderships when election is always the best way of choosing best leaders in any organization. In fact, this is what the business community has earlier seen in the election of new leadership in the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI). Several panels mainly contest for the leadership at the FBCCI, but this year the government mediated between the panels to agree on the post of the president and two vice-presidents. Selection of other directors was also made on the basis of negotiated agreement depriving the general members of the FBCCI from electing their leaders. This is also going to happen at the BGMEA too. Many hold the view that the government intervention in election of leaders at the apex trade bodies is not a good sign for the members of the business community. Business leaders must keep the door of election open to help the business community to elect their leaders to help develop the business community in a fairly competitive environment.
