Notable RMG sector entrepreneurs and other businesspeople yesterday urged Dhaka to vote their family member Annisul Haq for the mayor of Dhaka North City corporation. FBCCI Prsident Kazi Akram Uddin and BGMEA President Atiqul Islam led the call for votes speaking at “Current situation of RMG Sector and the way forward” – a meeting to exchange views organised be the BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA.“Annisul Huq is a family member of the clothing industry, we must stand by him and extend our hands of cooperation,” said BGMEA president Atiqul Islam. FBCCI President Akram remarked that Annisul’s victory would mean victory for the business community as a whole, and said: “The government has met the demands of the business community; we will peruse the government to realise the businesspeople’s demands in the upcoming budget as well.” “Annisul Huq has led the $30bn RMG industry to where it is now, and if we elect him as mayor, he will lead Dhaka and make it the most liveable city,” said BKMEA acting president Aslam Sunny. Annisul, on the other hand, took the opportunity to reiterate his election promises and garner support: “Trust us, we businesspeople will work together to make Dhaka city green and clean. The business community is a family, and on behalf of the community I have taken the challenge to contest the poll. It is also is a gift from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.” “We oppose each other in BGMEA and FBCCI polls, but now we are a family and this solidarity is an example for the country’s politicians,” Huq added. At one point, the business leaders raised their hands showing their support for Annisul Huq. The meeting also discussed the challenges and the ways forward for the RMG sector. “On behalf of the RMG sector I have placed our demands to the Finance Minister AMA Muhith and he assured policy support to recover losses suffered due to the political unrest,” said Abduis Salam Murshedy, president Exporters Association of Bangladesh. He also urged BGMEA president to handle the Accord and Alliance issues as they are continually coming up with new issues in the name of safety and rights. The country’s RMG sector is now under pressure due to the inspection of Accord and Alliance who are devising new issues that are difficult for the industry to tolerate, said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, former president of BGMEA. “We have the capacity of exporting $50bn by 2021 as we have the potential and capacity, but we need scope to work,” said Anwarul Alam Chudhury Parvez. “Accord and Alliance are not responding the our call on funding for remediation and we need follow up of inspection for proper implementation,” he added.
