The government has dissolved the board of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and appointed an administrator to oversee its operations.

Md Anwar Hossain, vice chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), has been assigned this role. He is responsible for organizing a "fair and neutral" election within 120 days and will hand over duties to the newly elected committee while notifying the commerce ministry, according to an order issued on Sunday.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, BGMEA President SM Mannan Kochi went into hiding. In his absence, Senior Vice President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam stepped in to take his place.

After the change in power, the interim government dissolved the boards of several trade organizations, including the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), and this trend has now extended to BGMEA.

The order noted that BGMEA is a registered trade body under the ministry's license. Although the board was restructured on August 24 following Kochi's resignation, the formation process was deemed flawed.

Representatives of the reconstituted board have failed to adequately address the complaints raised by general members, leading to ongoing instability within the garment industry and worker discontent, which are adversely impacting the economy. The current board's lack of coordination indicates that BGMEA is not functioning effectively under the Trade Organisations Act, 2022.

In light of these challenges, the ministry has dissolved the restructured board to ensure the continuity of BGMEA’s operations and to address the unrest and dissatisfaction among workers in the garment sector.