BANGLADESH CRICKET
Tamim Iqbal, who is still playing competitive cricket, said that he will give up the game once he takes up administrative role in the BCB. © Getty
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal on Sunday took a swipe at current Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam for abusing power and alleged government interference in the upcoming election of the board, scheduled on October 6.
The BCB election commission, chaired by senior Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Hossain, released the election schedule of the board on Sunday. Earlier, the election was scheduled to take place on October 4 but now the election commission has declared that it will take place two days later.
Election activities start from September 22 with the draft voter list set to be published that evening. The final voter list will be released on September 25. Prospective candidates can buy nomination forms over two days, and the final list of candidates will be announced on 1 October.
Voting will take place at Dhaka’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with results expected two hours later. E-ballots and postal votes will also be accepted, with submissions due by 2:00 pm on October 5.
The 25-member board will include 12 directors elected by Dhaka club councillors, 10 by regional and district councillors, one from other representatives, and two nominated by the National Sports Council. The directors will then elect the board president. The last BCB election took place on October 6 in 2021.
Tamim, who joined a protest organized by former and current cricketers, cricket organizers, and enthusiasts against the government-appointed councillor panel for the upcoming BCB election, said, “A few days ago, I met with the sports adviser and I told him one thing and one thing only – I am not asking for anything personal, I just want a fair election. I have not demanded anything beyond that. But since then, what I have been witnessing at district and divisional levels, and even at clubs, is completely unacceptable. It seems that the government is intervening from various directions, and this needs to be publicly known.
“If I am not mistaken, the election commission was formed on September 6. Once an election commission is in place, all matters must go through it. The deadlines for councillor nominations were first set for September 17 and suddenly, a message appeared in the BCB directors’ group saying the deadline would be extended – first to September 19, and then to September 22.
“The first extension had some agreement among three or four directors, but the second extension was done solely by the BCB president, without consulting anyone else. He unilaterally extended the time,” he said.
Earlier Cricbuzz had reported that the BCB election is turning out to be a political circus, and Tamim raised similar concerns about procedural irregularities and deviations from the BCB constitution, though BCB election commissioner dismissed any concern over Bulbul’s role in the election.
“Typically, in districts and divisions, those involved in sports can nominate councillors through the district administration. This has been the practice for many years. But this time, an ad-hoc committee was formed and only its approval would be valid for nominations – something that is not mentioned anywhere in the constitution. Moreover, we have seen people being removed from or added to the ad-hoc committee at will. If elections are conducted this way, it is no longer an election but a selection. Elections should be open and fair for everyone,” he explained.
“Initially, councillor nominations were submitted with the district administration’s signatures, and we have received many copies,” he explained. “Once they were submitted to the BCB, there were discussions about who belongs where. That is when the deadline was extended. Perhaps the authorities felt pressure and wanted to influence people. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Tamim criticized the president for issuing instructions despite claiming ignorance.
“Recently, Bulbul said in an interview that he has no idea how elections are conducted. Yet, he himself signed letters instructing previous councillors to be removed and only nominations from the ad-hoc committee to be accepted. According to the constitution, once the election commission is formed, the president cannot sign any such letters. But in reality, he has signed and sent letters to district administrations. If he knows nothing about the elections, how can he issue such detailed directives?” Tamim questioned.
He also raised concerns over broader government involvement. “Letters from the NSC secretary and other authorities have repeatedly intervened in various matters. Why should the government interfere in BCB matters? Cricket belongs to 180 million people of this country, not to any small group or political faction. There should be no bias, no government interference. Elections should be conducted fairly and transparently,” he said.
Tamim also urged the authorities to respect the original September 17 councilor list. “I hope that those declared as councilors on September 17 remain unchanged. There should be no new modifications. Cricket must remain for everyone – not for a specific person or group. This election should be impartial and free from interference, and I hope that happens,” he said.
He also pointed out that once an election commission is formed, all communication and decisions must go through it, not the BCB president. Tamim, who is still playing competitive cricket, said that he will give up the game once he takes up administrative role in the BCB.
“There is no need for me to formally retire,” Tamim told reporters. “Everyone understands that if I am elected to the BCB, I will no longer play cricket. But it is not written anywhere that I cannot play. There is no need to make an official retirement announcement. Since questions have arisen, I want to clarify that if I am elected, I will have no involvement with cricket in this country in terms of playing. However, if there is a charity match elsewhere, I am still free to participate in that,” he added.
© Cricbuzz
