SM Mannan Kochi, the Dhaka North City Secretary General of Awami League, secured victory in the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) elections, becoming the 20th president of the influential apparel exporters’ apex body. The Sammilito Parishad, led by Kochi, emerged victorious, winning all 35 director posts in the election held on March 9.
Kochi, currently serving as the senior vice president of BGMEA, received overwhelming support, with around 90% of BGMEA members casting their votes. The election, conducted peacefully, saw the Forum panel, led by Faisal Samad, failing to secure any director posts.
The voting process commenced at 10:00 am and concluded at 5:00 pm, with the subsequent start of vote counting at 6:00 pm. Jahangir Alamin, the chairman of the BGMEA election board for the 2024-26 term, confirmed the smooth conduct of the election.
In Dhaka, 1,839 out of 2,032 votes were cast, while in Chattogram, 387 out of 462 votes were recorded. A total of 70 candidates contested for the 35 director positions under the Sammilito Parishad and Forum panels, with 26 directors selected from Dhaka and nine from the Chattogram region.
Notably, three former Dhaka Chamber presidents participated in the election. Shams Mahamud secured a director post, while Asif Ibrahim and Osama Taseer faced defeat.
The BGMEA board of directors had formed a three-member election board, led by Jahangir Alamin, on December 4, 2023. Additionally, a three-member election appellate board, headed by Kamran T Rahman, President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), was established.
The BGMEA elections, held every two years, saw the tenure of the previous board extended by the government due to special circumstances. The current board’s tenure, extended twice, concluded on April 12, 2022, leading to the recent elections for the 2024-2026 term.
