BGMEA: Sammilito Parishad clinches victory, SM Mannan new president

The Sammilito Parishad has secured all 35 directorship positions in the election into the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) for the 2024-26 term.

SM Mannan Kochi, leader of the winning panel and managing director of Seha Design, will become the new president of the organisation of apparel exporters. However, no candidates from the other panel emerged victorious in the election.

The election was held simultaneously in Dhaka and Chattogram on Saturday. There was a scuffle between two panel members before the voting in Dhaka, followed by a chaos in the polling booths in the afternoon.

However, around 89 per cent of the voters cast their ballots in the election. The election authorities started counting votes at 6:00 pm and it continued for several hours.

Later, Jahangir Alamin, leader of the election board and former president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), announced the results at midnight.

Sammilito Parishad leader SM Mannan Kochi secured a resounding victory with a maximum 1,510 votes, clinching the presidency and spearheading his panel’s triumph.

The newly elected directors from the Sammilito Parishad include prominent business figures from both the Dhaka and Chattogram. They are Shahidullah Azim, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Asif Ashraf, Md Imranur Rahman, Arshad Jamal, Miran Ali, Shovon Islam, Haroon Ar Rashid, Mohammad Sohel Sadat, Anowar Hossain, Shams Mahmud, Khondokar Rafiqul Islam, Ashikur Rahman, Nasir Uddin, Mesbah Uddin Khan, Rajiv Chowdhury, Md Shahadat Hossain, Abrar Hossain Sayem, Mohiuddin Rubel, Nusrat Bari, Md Jakir Hossain, Shehrin Salam, Md Nurul Islam, Saifuddin Siddique, Rezaul Alam from Dhaka region.

From Chattogram region, Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, Syed Nazrul Islam, Mohammad Musa, Amzad Hossain Chowdhury, M Ahsanul Hoque, Mostafa Sarwar, Rakib Al Naser, Gazi Md Shahid Ullah, and Md Absar Hossain were elected as directors.