BKMEA biennial election begins

The biennial election of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) began today to elect its executive committee for the 2025–2027 term.

Voting started at 9 am and will continue till 5 pm without any break, said Syed Wahiduzzaman, secretary to the BKMEA Election Board.

This year, polling is taking place at two centres,one in Dhaka and the other in Narayanganj. However, no voting centre has been set up in Chattogram despite a significant number of voters residing in the area.

"Voters from Chattogram can cast their votes at either the Dhaka or Narayanganj centres, depending on their preference," Wahiduzzaman told The Daily Star over the phone.

A total of 38 candidates are contesting in this year's election, of whom 35 will be elected as directors for a two-year term. From among the elected directors, one president and seven vice presidents will be nominated for the tenure.

There are 572 eligible voters across the country. Of them, 272 are from Narayanganj, 224 from Dhaka, and 76 from Chattogram.

The voting is being conducted manually. The election commission did not set up a separate polling centre in Chattogram, citing the relatively low number of voters in the area. 

However, the commission has allowed Chattogram-based voters the flexibility to vote at either of the other two centres.

Only one panel fielded candidates for all 35 directorial positions, while three other individuals are contesting independently, Wahiduzzaman added.

The election commission also decided to shift the Dhaka polling centre to the BKMEA's Dhaka office at Planners Tower from the originally planned Shaheed Abu Sayed International Convention Centre, citing safety concerns, Wahiduzzaman said.

As of 3:10 pm, 68 percent or 389 out of the total 572 votes have been cast, said Wahiduzzaman, adding that no untoward incident took place so far.