- Dhaka
Mohammad Hatem, Managing Director of MB Knit Fashion, has been elected as the President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) for the 2025–27 term, marking a significant leadership shift after more than a decade.
Fazle Shamim Ehsan has been appointed as the Executive President, according to a statement issued by BKMEA.
The new office bearers were elected during a board meeting held on May 15 at the association’s head office in Narayanganj.
The appointments follow the resounding victory of the Progressive Knit Alliance, led by Hatem, which won all 35 director posts in the biennial election held on May 10. This was the first contested election for BKMEA since 2012, bringing an end to 13 years of unopposed leadership under former president AKM Salim Osman.
Salim Osman, also a former Member of Parliament for Narayanganj-5, had served as president for seven consecutive terms, often forming boards through internal consensus without the need for member voting. In July 2023, he was reappointed without an election.
The return to member-driven elections was made possible following the political shift caused by the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024. This change has paved the way for the reintroduction of democratic practices within the association, which had long been suppressed.
Other newly elected office bearers include Amal Poddar, who has been appointed Vice President (Finance), and Morshed Sarwar, who has been appointed Senior Vice President.
The newly elected directors are: Mansoor Ahmed, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Belayet Hossain, Imran Quader Turya, Khandaker Saiful Islam, M Isfaq Ahsan, Md Abdul Hannan, Mohammad Zakaria Wahid, Mohsin Rabbani, Shahriar Sayed, Md Jamal Uddin Mia, Nand Dulal Saha, Ratan Kumar Saha, Md Moniruzzaman, Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Rajiv Chowdhury, Minhajul Haque, Mamunur Rashid, Rakib Sobhan Mia, Salah Uddin Ahmed, Ahmed Noor Faisal, Mohammad Shamsul Azam, Fauzul Imran Khan, Mohammad Salim, Abdul Barek, and Md Yasin.
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