Without mentioning the name of Major (retd) Abdul Mannan, who owns the industries, the Board of Directors of the BGMEA in its first meeting in Chittagong yesterday sought government intervention to prevent recurrence of such "terrorist acts".

Mannan resigned from parliament and the ruling BNP on March 10 in protest at what he said was a serious failure of the coalition government. Later, he joined the alternative political stream of former President Badruddoza Chowdhury as its member secretary.

Held at the BGMEA office in the port city with its new President Anisul Haq in the chair, the meeting vented serious concern at the deteriorating law and order and "unstable political situation" of the country.

The apex body of the garment manufacturers and exporters is also worried about hartal, being enforced by the opposition, which disrupts production.

The BGMEA meeting called for law and order as a prerequisite for productivity and trade and commerce.

"Any kind of terrorist attack on the apparel industries creates panic among the foreign buyers, lowering their confidence in the Bangladeshi garment exporters," observed the Board of Directors of the BGMEA.

If such attacks continued, they cautioned, international buyers of Bangladesh's readymade garments might shift elsewhere.

They urged the government to maintain law and order so that the garment exporters can carry out their business deals without any hindrance and fear.

BGMEA First Vice-President Abdus Salam, Vice-President (Finance) Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury and Directors Kazi Moniruzzaman, SM Nurul Haque, M Zinnat Ali Mia, Shafiul Islam, Farooq Hasan, Helaluddin Chowdhury, ANM Saifuddin, Syed Ahsanul Haq, Ishtiaq Rahman, Ferdous Parvez, Golam Kabir Chowdhury, Shahidul Islam, Shafiqul Islam and ABM Shamsuddin were present at the meeting.