- Dhaka
Dhaka, May 31 — The Forum panel has secured a sweeping victory in the 2025–27 term elections of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), claiming a commanding majority in both Dhaka and Chattogram regions.
Of the 35 director positions up for grabs, Forum candidates won 31 — 25 out of 26 in Dhaka and 6 out of 9 in Chattogram. The Sammilito Parishad managed to win only four seats in total.
With this landslide win, Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, Managing Director of Rising Fashions Ltd. and leader of the Forum panel, is set to be elected as the next BGMEA President.
The election took place on Saturday (May 31) at Radisson Blu hotels in Dhaka and Chattogram. Voting began at 8:00 AM and continued until 5:15 PM. The results were announced later that night. A total of 1,864 garment industry voters cast their ballots among 76 candidates vying for 35 director posts.
The official voting for President and Vice President by the newly elected directors is scheduled to be held on June 2.
In the previous BGMEA election held in March 2024 under the former Awami League government, the Sammilito Parishad had won all 35 posts. However, following the political shift on August 5, 2024, then-president Abdul Mannan Kochi fled the country and submitted his resignation from an undisclosed location. In his absence, Khandaker Rafiqul Islam, Managing Director of DesignTex Group, assumed interim leadership of the association.
Due to continued instability in the garment sector, the Ministry of Commerce appointed Anwar Hossain, Vice Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), as administrator on October 20, 2024, to oversee BGMEA operations until fresh elections were held.
The 2025 BGMEA election marks a significant turning point for the country’s RMG industry leadership, with Forum promising reform, stability, and stronger international engagement.
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