Batexpo’s political guest list changes after three decades

When Batexpo returns in November after a 12-year hiatus, its political guest list will look different from the arrangement that had become familiar over much of its history.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony on 18 November, while President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is expected to attend the closing ceremony on 19 November, according to BGMEA’s announcement today (17 September). 

In most instances, Batexpo’s opening and closing ceremonies brought together the prime minister and the leader of the opposition — with the prime minister generally inaugurating the exhibition and the opposition leader attending its concluding session.

One of the earliest archival records available shows this arrangement in the 1990s. According to newspaper archives, reports on Batexpo in 1997 said that then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the exhibition, while then opposition leader Khaleda Zia would attend the concluding ceremony.

The same political pairing was seen in 2004, although the roles had changed. Dailies reported that then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia would inaugurate the 15th Batexpo, while then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina would attend the closing ceremony. 

The arrangement continued after another change of government. For Batexpo 2011, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the exhibition, while opposition leader Khaleda Zia was scheduled to attend the closing ceremony. The tradition also continued in 2012. 

The 2013 edition, the last Batexpo before the long break, followed the same format. Then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to inaugurate the 24th Batexpo, while Khaleda Zia was expected to attend the closing ceremony as chief guest, according to newspapers. 

Batexpo itself dates back to 1989 to attract foreign buyers and promote Bangladesh’s garment exports. 

There was, however, a break in the format during the caretaker government period. In 2007, Batexpo was inaugurated by then Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed rather than a prime minister, as the country was under a caretaker administration. 

After the 2013 edition, BGMEA moved away from the traditional domestic Batexpo format. In 2014, the association decided to hold an Apparel Summit in Paris instead of the regular Batexpo, with the event intended to promote Bangladesh’s apparel industry internationally. 

Thus, the 2026 revival is notable not only because Batexpo is returning after 12 years, but also because the expected political representation has changed. Instead of the prime minister opening the event and the opposition leader closing it, the current programme has the prime minister at the opening and the president at the closing.

The historical record suggests that having the prime minister open Batexpo and the opposition leader attend its closing ceremony was a recurring practice from the late 1990s through 2013, although it was not followed in every edition.