The BGMEA decision came after the advisers to the caretaker government on Monday night said they are hopeful about finding a solution to the crisis with the next 48 hours.

Earlier on Sunday, the garment factory owners issued a 12-hour ultimatum to the president to break the deadlock; otherwise, they said, they would stage a sit-in on the premises of the presidential residence Monday.

However, later they had decided to have the decision approved by the association members and accordingly, they called an emergency board meeting at the BGMEA office yesterday. At the meeting, the members overwhelmingly endorsed the sit-in programme, said sources.

"We will have to go for a sit-in in front of the Bangabhaban if President Iajuddin fails to work out a solution by today," Tipu Munshi, the immediate past president of BGMEA, told The Daily Star.

He said, "The majority view at the meeting was that we hold the demonstration."

Addressing a press conference after the board meeting, former BGMEA president Annisul Huq said, "We must organise the programme as the so-called constitutional and democratic politics of the political parties has been ruining our industry."

BGMEA President SM Fazlul Haque, however, did not make any comment on the planned sit-in.

He said, "We will meet the president and chief adviser on Thursday and then decide on what to do."

Meanwhile, in a statement signed by Salahuddin Ahmed, acting secretary of BGMEA, said the board meeting has decided to submit a memorandum to the chief adviser, advisers and the governor of the Bangladesh Bank, depicting how badly the garment sector has been affected due to the ongoing political unrest.

The statement said the apparel factory owners and manufacturers hope that the current crisis will come to an end within the deadline spelt out by the interim government. They will announce more programmes if things do not improve by that time.