A 30-per cent increase in US quota for Bangladesh's garments and reopening of more than 200 garment units would be the main issues in the upcoming BGMEA elections.

This has become apparent in the campaign by the two contesting panels.

"We are hopeful of getting additional garments quota from the US government," BGMEA president Mostafa Golam Quddus, leader of the Sammilita Parishad's panel told The Daily Star yesterday.

Anisul Huq of the Mohammadi (Apparel) Group, who heads the panel of the BGMEA Forum said if elected he would try to reopen more than 200 garment units, closed due to defaulted loans and the political turmoil in 1995 and early 1996.

More than 20 candidates submitted their nomination papers at the BGMEA office yesterday. Elections are due on February 25 for one third of the 27 executive committee seats to be vacated.

The Sammilita Parishad needs seven seats to re-elect Quddus as BGMEA president for the next one year while the Forum needs only three to have the president from among its members.

"I will be trying to resolve the current duty refund issue under GSP scheme," Huq said. A 12.5 per cent duty rebate which the exporters and importers enjoyed under the GSP scheme will have to be paid by them due to cancellation of some 15,000 GSP certificates last year at the insistence of the EU.

Quddus claimed his team had been successful in reducing insurance premium by about 50 per cent and getting exempted from nationalised banks a one per cent (acceptance) charge on the import value of Letter of Credit. He also claimed credit for getting two bighas of land allotted from the government for constructing BGMEA's own building near Hotel Sonargaon in the city.

Quddus said he would also put on his agenda the issue of reopening of those closed factories.