Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, managing director of Designtex Group, has been appointed president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association after SM Mannan Kochi resigned from the post on medical ground.

Kochi, who was elected the BGMEA president on March 14 for the 2024-26 term, on Friday tendered his resignation to the BGMEA board.

In response, an emergency meeting of the BGMEA board of directors was convened on Saturday at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka and Rafiqul was appointed president of the trade body, said a press release.

In the most recent election, Rafiqul was elected senior vice-president of the BGMEA.

The emergency meeting also made Abdullah Hil Rakib, managing director of Team Group, senior vice-president and Asif Ashraf, managing director of Urmi Group, vice-president of the trade body.

Rakib was a vice-president and Asif was a director of the BGMEA board.

In the wake of significant political changes, including the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government after a mass uprising on August 5, a section of BGMEA members raised their voice demanding the resignation of Kochi.

Since the recent political shift, Kochi, also a Awami League leader, has reportedly gone into hiding.

On August 20, the Forum — the panel that lost the last election — called for the dissolution of the current BGMEA board and the formation of an interim committee to ensure a free, fair and credible election for the trade body.

In a letter to the commerce ministry, the Forum accused the BGMEA election of being plagued by irregularities and undue influence from the then Hasina-led government.

They alleged that Kochi had maintained close ties with the ousted prime minister and had been involved in organising attacks on students during their protests in July and August.

Following the fall of the Awami League government, Kochi faced several cases, including one involving murder charges.