Mohammad Hatem, managing director of MB Knit Fashion, has been elected president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) for the 2025–27 term, marking a significant leadership transition in the trade body after more than a decade.
Fazle Shamim Ehsan has been elected executive president, according to a statement issued by BKMEA.
The new office bearers were selected at a board meeting held on May 15 at the association’s head office in Narayanganj.
The appointments follow the resounding victory of the Progressive Knit Alliance, led by Hatem, which secured all 35 director posts in the biennial election held on May 10.
It was the first contested BKMEA election since 2012, ending 13 years of unopposed leadership under former president AKM Salim Osman.
Salim Osman, also a former Member of Parliament for Narayanganj-5, had held the presidency for seven consecutive terms, often forming boards through internal consensus without member voting.
Even as recently as July 2023, he was reappointed without an election.
The return to member-driven elections became possible following the political shift triggered by the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024, which cleared the way for long-suppressed democratic practices within the association.
Other newly elected office bearers include Amal Poddar as vice-president (Finance) and Morshed Sarwar as senior vice-president.
The vice-presidents are Md Samsuzzaman, Gauhar Siraj Jamil, Ashiqur Rahman, Fakir Kamruzzaman Nahid and Mohammad Rashed.
The newly elected directors are: Mansoor Ahmed, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Belayet Hossain, Imran Quader Turya, Khandaker Saiful Islam, M Isfaq Ahsan, Md Abdul Hannan, Mohammad Zakaria Wahid, Mohsin Rabbani, Shahriar Sayed, Md Jamal Uddin Mia, Nand Dulal Saha, Ratan Kumar Saha, Md Moniruzzaman, Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Rajiv Chowdhury, Minhajul Haque, Mamunur Rashid, Rakib Sobhan Mia, Salah Uddin Ahmed, Ahmed Noor Faisal, Mohammad Shamsul Azam, Fauzul Imran Khan, Mohammad Salim, Abdul Barek, and Md Yasin.
