SM Mannan Kochi is set to be the next president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) as his panel won a landslide victory in the biennial election of the trade body.

Kochi's Sammilito panel won all the posts of directors in the election. Of the 35 posts of directors, 26 are in Dhaka and nine in Chattogram region.

Kochi, chairman of Seha Design (BD) Ltd, is also the general Secretary of Awami League of Dhaka North City Corporation.

Currently, he is holding the post of senior vice president in the BGMEA.

In the election, his rival panel -- Forum – led by Faisal Samad could not win a single director's post.

BGMEA election took place yesterday to elect the new executive committee for the 2024-26 tenure, at BGMEA Dhaka and Chattogram offices.

At Dhaka Centre, 1839 out of 2032 votes were cast. At the Chattogram polling centre 387 out of 464 were cast.

The voting started at 10:00am and continued till 5:00pm at the BGMEA's Dhaka and Chattogram offices, said Jahangir Alamin, chairman of the BGMEA election board for the 2024-26 term.

The election was peaceful, Alamin said.

As per BGMEA polls rule, the general voters elect 35 directors first and then, the elected directors nominate the president and vice presidents.

Two panels -- Sammilito Parishad and Forum – contested in the elections.

The tenure of the current board, which took charge in April 2021, expires this March.

Its term was extended for a total of one year in two phases, to deal with the fallouts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the dollar crisis and the energy shortage.