HC stays cancellation of BAMA licence, merger with BCPA

The High Court has stayed the Ministry of Commerce's decision to cancel the trade organisation (TO) licence of the Bangladesh Agrochemical Manufacturers Association (BAMA) and merge it with the Bangladesh Crop Protection Association (BCPA).

The order allows BAMA to continue operating as a valid trade organisation, according to the association.

The High Court issued the order today (21 September) following the preliminary hearing of a writ petition filed by BAMA challenging a notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce.

BAMA President Agriculturist K S M Mostafizur Rahman and General Secretary M A Mannan disclosed the development in a press release.

According to BAMA, the Ministry of Commerce decided to cancel its TO licence and merge the organisation with BCPA through a memorandum issued on 9 September.

The association challenged the decision in the High Court, describing it as unilateral and unlawful.

Following the preliminary hearing, the court stayed the operation of the notification cancelling BAMA's TO licence.

The court also issued a rule asking why the decision to cancel BAMA's TO licence should not be declared illegal and set aside.

BAMA's lawyer Barrister Md Salekuzzaman said the High Court had stayed the effectiveness of the notification cancelling the organisation's licence.

"As a result, BAMA can continue its activities as a valid trade organisation as before," he said.

In its 9 September notification, the Ministry of Commerce said BCPA had 1,230 members in the pesticide sector, while BAMA had only 20 members.

The ministry said the two organisations had similar objectives and that the existence of multiple organisations in the same sector was creating obstacles to the import, production and marketing of pesticides.

To maintain discipline in the sector, the ministry considered it logical to bring the businesses concerned under a single umbrella, according to the notification.