A total of 76 candidates will vie for 35 posts on the board of directors of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in its upcoming biennial elections for the 2025–2027 term.

Two major platforms — Sammilita Parishad and Forum — on Tuesday announced their final lists of candidates, each fielding a full panel of 35 nominees. Another platform, Oikkyo Parishad, is entering the race with six candidates.

The BGMEA election is scheduled to take place on 31 May.

When asked, a member of the election board confirmed that a total of 76 candidates had been selected from the initial list of 93, and the final list will be published on May 8.

Earlier, candidates from the Sammilita Parishad and Forum panels submitted their nomination papers on April 26, while six candidates from Oikkyo Parishad submitted theirs on April 24.

When asked, Khaled Md Faisal Iqbal, who is contesting under Oikkyo Parishad, said that although they could not field a full panel, they aim to serve as a voice on the board if elected.

Sources said the two main panels — Sammilita Parishad and Forum — had engaged in negotiations to avoid an election and jointly run the affairs of the apparel apex body for the next term, but these talks ultimately failed.

According to the final list, a total of 1,864 voters — 1,561 in Dhaka and 303 in Chattogram — will cast their votes in this year’s election.

The BGMEA began its journey with only 12 members in the early 1980s and currently has around 4,500 members.

Some 40 per cent of BGMEA member factories are knitwear and sweater manufacturers, while the remaining 60 per cent are woven garment manufacturers.

According to the BGMEA, its member factories account for 100 per cent of the country’s woven garment exports and over 95 per cent of sweater exports, while around half of light knitwear exports are produced by them.

Bangladesh’s RMG exports earned $36.15 billion in the financial year 2023-24, with $16.86 billion from woven items and $19.28 billion from knitwear.