High Court stay order welcome

We are at a loss in the first place to comprehend the government rationale for its action. Going by the stipulations of the relevant government ordinance, the government may appoint an administrator if it deems that maladministration in a trade body demands so, and that also after necessary consultation with its office bearers. We are not aware of any chaos, or instance of financial mismanagement or the like in the BGMEA that warranted the extreme measure of replacing the elected members of its executive committee with a government appointee.

In the public eye it may not be a mere coincidence that the decision to appoint an administrator came only a month before the BGMEA election. If one were to see political undertones in the action, would one be amiss?

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With the end of the MFA regime, when we are likely to face more stiff challenges and when the government should act to protect, promote and bolster the RMG sector all the more, we find the meddlesome approach a cruel irony. Such an attempted manoeuvre by the vested quarters cannot but be denounced.

It hardly needs mention that readymade garments (RMG) export accounts for almost 75 percent of our total export earnings. Anything that causes hindrance in this sector will be bad for our RMG export and the economy as a whole and must be eschewed. We apprehend that the recent government action is likely to do exactly that by sending the wrong signals to the buyers.

We urge the government to desist from interfering in the affairs of the only organisation that represents the export oriented garment manufacturers and exporters of Bangladesh. It can effectively do so by revoking the appointment order and by allowing the yearly election of the Association to be held without any obstruction.