Staff Correspondent

The Progressive Knit Alliance, led by Mohammad Hatem, has announced its 15-point election manifesto for the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) elections for 2025-27.

The manifesto was released at a press conference held at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday.

During unveiling the manifesto, Hatem, president of knitwear industry owners' organisation BKMEA, said that a war between India and Pakistan will not only have adverse effects on the two countries but also on neighbouring countries.

He said, "Just as the country concerned is affected when a war breaks out, so are the neighbouring countries. Bordering countries like ours will also be affected economically."

He further said, "We have to import various raw materials including yarn and cloth. In a war situation, import and export will be disrupted, which will directly affect our industry. As a result, we will also face losses in various ways."

In this situation, he called on the concerned countries to avoid tension and come to a peaceful solution.

The manifesto has called for effective steps to be taken through discussions with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to ease import and export by removing customs complications. Among these, it has been promised to resolve the complexity of HS Code, remove all obstacles in the import of raw materials and export of goods, simplify the import availability and use method of composite units, remove the complexity of raw material supply from bonded to non-bonded companies and take steps to resolve the ongoing problems of the Bond Commissionerate.

In addition, it has been said to force non-bonded companies to obtain bond licenses and thereby remove obstacles to exports.

The manifesto calls for discussions with the NBR to stop VAT harassment of export-oriented industries. Taxation system.