Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) had become the power factory to grab the position of ministers, MPs, mayors and other partisan posts by showing submissiveness to Awami Laegue (AL) in last 15 years. There was a strong allegation that the leaders of BGMEA had abused the organization to fulfill their own interest. The leaders of BGMEA were busy in grabbing posts of ministers, MPs and other political benefits. They have become owners of huge amount of money and assets by abusing their connection with the government. In a word, the apex body in garments sector has been seriously failed in protecting the interests of the common garments owners.
In this context, the former president of BGMEA Faruque Hassan on Saturday told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "In the past 15 and half years, BGMEA had a bad reputation as a factory of power to grab the posts of Ministers, MPs, Mayors or positions in political parties. A somewhat negative image has also been created in the society. However, the leaders who got the positions of Ministers, MPs, Mayors or members of political party have also played a significant role in the interest of the garment industry. According to him, many have become leaders of BGMEA by getting involved in politics. Many have taken advantage of politics by becoming BGMEA leaders. There was also an attempt to involve many people like me in the party work.”
BGMEA said in a statement in 2022 that 2, 734 garment factories were closed in the last 12 years. However, it is alleged that the BGMEA leaders did not provide any assistance to sustain these factories. Sources say that for the past 15 and half years, the leaders of BGMEA have not worked for the interests of the garment industry owners. They have made the organization a tool for petty vested interests and harvesting own benefits. BGMEA was held hostage politically by the Kotari group. There is no good governance in the organization.
Garment industry owners have had a good time in Awami politics for the past 15 and half years. Many people who were once associated with BNP politics, but had good relations with AL, have become ministers, MPs, mayors on AL tickets in the last 15 and a half years. Even without party politics, some got the responsibility of ministers, state ministers and mayors. Not only some of them became the MPs and ministers, the important party positions were grabbed by the garment industry owners. Many more were in the pipeline. It is said that those who could not get advantage in Awami League are secretly were touch with BNP.
In this regard, former senior vice-president of BGMEA, Faisal Samad, told The Bangladesh Pratidin on Saturday, "Using any business organization for political ideas or purposes is not worthy of support. Politics and business cannot go together. Business interests are not granted for politics in BGMEA. Over the past decade BGMEA has been used to serve personal interests. Many have become political leaders using BGMEA. Many have become ministers, MPs, and mayors. Many have even taken up political positions by dint of being BGMEA leaders. In this situation, the negative image of BGMEA has been reflected to the society.”
After the formation of the Awami League government in 2009, Abdus Salam Murshedi, a former pro-BNP businessman and managing director of Envoy Group, became the BGMEA president in March of that year. Later, he became MP twice on the nomination of Awami League. Abdus Salam Murshedi's daughter Sheherin Salam Oushi became the BGMEA director in her father's quota.
Then in March 2011, former Chhatra League leader Md. Safiul Islam Mohiuddin became the president of BGMEA. After resigning from the post of BGMEA president, he became the president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) under the influence and blessings of the then Awami League government. After that, he became an MP on the nomination of Awami League.
Atiqul Islam became BGMEA president in March 2013. Those close to him used to say that under the influence of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Atiq served as BGMEA president for an additional six months. He became the mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation for two rounds on the nomination of Awami League.
Atiqul Islam was been extremely unsuccessful and controversial as a mayor, according to them.
Siddiqur Rahman became BGMEA president in 2015. He flexed a special capacity to extend the term of the two-year committee to three and a half years. The MPs and ministers wanted to develop a close relationship with the Prime Minister's family. Even if that doesn't happen, he became the of industry and commerce secretary of Awami League as well as became FBCCI vice president.
As a special confidant of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in April 2019, the managing director of the Mohammadi Group Rubana Haque became the BGMEA president for the first time. In this case, the identity of her husband and former mayor of Dhaka North late Anisul Haque played an important role. Star businessman Anisul Haque was also BGMEA president. He later became FBCCI president during the army-backed One-Eleven government. After that, he became the president of SAARC Chamber, the top organization of South Asian businessmen. Anisul Haque suddenly became the popular mayor of Dhaka North on the nomination of Awami League despite not playing politics. The couple's son Navidul Haque also became the director of BGMEA.
Faruque Hassan became the BGMEA president in direct elections in April 2021 after rejecting the proposal to form a committee through compromise. He did not aspire to any political power. But he said he was under pressure to join political activities.
Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League general secretary SM Mannan Kochi became BGMEA president in April this year. He was the BGMEA vice president for a long time. However, SM Mannan Kochi was forced to resign from the post of president in the face protest from a section of BGMEA leaders after the political-plot changed on August 5. He remains a director on the current committee.
After that, in the emergency board meeting on August 24, Khandkar Rafiqul Islam, managing director of Design Techs became the BGMEA president. When The Bangladesh Pratidin on Saturday asked how are you evaluating the ministers, MPs, mayors and party leaders in the BGMEA identity in the past 15 and a half years, BGMEA President Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said “Trade politics or trade organization leadership and national politics should be separated. Business and politics cannot go together. We have to get out of this bad culture. BGMEA is a factory of power— this current perception of people also needs to be changed.
Former senior vice-president of BGMEA, Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, told The Bangladesh Pratidin on Saturday, “To many businessmen, being BGMEA president or leader was a fashion. They used BGMEA titles, became ministers and MPs and mayors. There are many leaders who did not run after these positions. Although many leaders have played a role in the interests of the garment industry as ministers, MPs and mayors, many have not done it. However, in most cases, ministers, MPs, mayors and party leaders have used BGMEA for fulfilling their personal interests.”
In the last 12th National Parliament election, 18 garment industry owners were elected members of parliament (MPs). They were welcomed by the election-centric alliance of this sector. The elected 18 members of parliament (currently former) were - Beximco Group Vice Chairman Salman F Rahman, Sepal Group Managing Director Tipu Munshi, Wisdom Apparels Limited Chairman AKM Salim Osman, Envoy Group Managing Director Abdus Salam Murshedi, Fabian Group Founder Md. Tajul Islam, Hamid Group Managing Director Nasrul Hamid, Renaissance Group Founder Shahriar Alam, Bengal Group Chairman Morshed Alam, Hameem Group Managing Director AK Azad, Well Group Founder Chairman Abdus Salam, Shasha Denims Limited Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, Sparrow Group Chairman Chayan Islam, Mandal Group Managing Director Abdul Momin Mandal, Tusuka Group Managing Director Faizur Rahman (Badal), Nipa Group Chairman Khosru Chowdhury, Dewan Zahid Ahmed of Axis Knitwear Limited, Mujibur Rahman of Smart Group and Managing Director of A&A Fashion Suiters Limited Md. Abdul Wadud.
(Translated by Lutful Hoque)
