Mahmud Hasan Khan, managing director of Rising Fashions, has been officially announced as the panel leader of Forum, a prominent group representing garment manufacturers in Bangladesh.

The announcement was made on Wednesday during an event held at a city hotel, ahead of the forthcoming elections of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Key figures in attendance included Forum’s president and general secretary, Abdus Salam and Rashid Ahmed Hossaini, respectively, as well as former BGMEA presidents, Anisur Rahman Sinha, Rubana Huq and Anwarul Alam Chowdhury, among others.

Forum and Sammilito Parishad, another major panel, are traditionally the primary contenders in BGMEA elections.

On October 20, the Ministry of Commerce dissolved the BGMEA Board under provision 17 of the Trade Organizations Act, 2022.

Subsequently, Md Anwar Hossain, Vice Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), was appointed as the administrator of BGMEA.

According to the ministry’s circular, the administrator has been tasked with conducting a free and fair election within 120 days and transferring responsibilities to the newly elected board.

On August 24, Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, managing director of Designtex Group, was elected BGMEA president following the resignation of SM Mannan Kochi.

Mannan Kochi had previously been elected president on 14 March for the 2024–26 term. Following his resignation, the BGMEA Board elected Rafiqul Islam to serve as president for the remainder of the term.

In August, a group of BGMEA members, led by a faction of Forum, called for the dissolution of the then-current board during a press conference.

The group criticised the BGMEA for failing to support its members effectively, particularly during the students’ movement and subsequent labour unrest, as well as challenges posed by floods and political transitions.

They also alleged irregularities in the BGMEA election held in February, accusing SM Mannan Kochi of maintaining close ties with the ousted government and playing a role in attacks on students during protests in July and August.