BGMEA recalls Khaleda Zia's contribution in RMG sector, holds doa mahfil

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised a special condolence meeting and doa mahfil today (12 January) in memory of former three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, seeking eternal peace for her departed soul.

The programme was held this afternoon at the Nurul Qader Auditorium of the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka.

Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister, was remembered with deep respect for her contributions to democracy, the national economy and the development of the country's readymade garment (RMG) sector.

The meeting was presided over by BGMEA Acting President Selim Rahman, said a press release.

Selim Rahman said Khaleda Zia was an uncompromising leader and a visionary statesperson, as well as a true friend of the garment industry.

During the early 1990s, when the RMG sector was still at a nascent stage, her government extended various facilities and cash incentives that significantly eased the industry's growth, he said, adding, "It was during her tenure that Bangladesh's garment exports crossed the one-billion-dollar milestone for the first time."

Selim Rahman further noted that during the critical period of the phase-out of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) in 2004, Khaleda Zia took timely and prudent steps by forming a National Coordination Committee, which helped the industry successfully navigate the crisis and strengthen its position in the global market.

He also mentioned that her government empowered BGMEA by granting the authority to issue UD and UP certificates, accelerating business operations.

"Her initiatives to promote a free-market economy, reduce the cost of doing business, simplify trade procedures and introduce stipends for female education brought about transformative changes in the country," Selim said.

BGMEA Senior Vice President Inamul Haq Khan, Vice Presidents Md Rezwan Selim, Vice President (Finance) Mizanur Rahman, Vice President Md Shihab Uddoja Chowdhury, Directors Shah Rayeed Chowdhury, Md Hasib Uddin, Mohammad Abdus Salam, Nafis-ud-Doula, Sumaiya Islam, Fahima Akter, Mozumder Arifur Rahman, Sheikh Hossain Mohammad Mostafiz, A B M Shamsuddin, Rashid Ahmed Hossaini, Mohammad Sohel, Samiha Azim, along with general members and prominent figures from the garment sector, were present, among others.

The programme concluded with a special prayer seeking eternal peace for the departed soul of Khaleda Zia and welfare for the country and its people.