August 21, 2024

Faruque Ahmed Elected as New BCB President after Nazmul Hassan Resigns

Veteran sports organizer Ahmed Sajjadul Alam has claimed “government interference” after his removal as a BCB director. Faruque Ahmed was elected as the new BCB president during a board meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday, following Nazmul Hassan’s resignation. Faruque is notably the first BCB president to have played competitive cricket, having represented Bangladesh in seven ODIs between 1988 and 1999 and captained the team in the 1994 ICC Trophy.

Faruque joined the BCB directors’ meeting after being nominated by the National Sports Council (NSC) as one of their representatives, along with Nazmul Abedeen Fahim. The NSC had replaced their previous directors, Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, with Fahim and Faruque. Yunus resigned on Monday, but Alam refused to step down, urging the NSC to follow the proper procedure. The BCB meeting, held at the NSC office, was attended by directors Mahbubul Anam, Khaled Mahmud, Akram Khan, Salauddin Ahmed, Kazi Inam Ahmed, Iftekhar Ahmed, and Fahim Sinha. The other 16 directors, including Hassan, have been absent from Dhaka since the Awami League government fell on August 5.

During the meeting, Fahim was inducted as the second NSC-nominated director. Following this, one of the BCB’s signatories was changed from Ismail Haider Mallick to Fahim Sinha. Mallick, who was considered Hassan’s closest ally and one of the most influential directors on the board, held key roles as the finance committee chair, marketing committee vice-chair, and secretary of the BPL governing council. Mallick is among the 16 board directors currently absent from Dhaka.

The directors were also informed about the change of venue for the Women’s T20 World Cup, which has been moved from Bangladesh to the UAE, although the BCB will remain the host of the tournament. BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury officially announced that Hassan had resigned from his position as president, and shortly afterward, the present directors unanimously elected Faruque as the new president.

After his playing career, Faruque served two terms as chief selector, first from 2003 to 2007, where he played a key role in ushering in a new era for Bangladesh cricket by giving opportunities to young players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal. He returned as chief selector in 2013 but resigned in 2016 after Hassan expanded the selection panel to include coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and team manager Khaled Mahmud.

Hassan, who has also served as the country’s sports minister since January, has been politically connected to the Awami League and has been a member of parliament since 2009.

Among the 16 board directors currently missing, Shafiul Alam is a serving Awami League MP, Naimur Rahman is a former MP, and AJM Nasir Uddin is the mayor of Chattogram. Additionally, Najib Ahmed and Sheikh Sohel, two other board directors, are cousins of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hassan became the BCB president in 2012 after AHM Mustafa Kamal left the position to become the ICC vice-president. A year later, Hassan became the BCB’s first elected president following a constitutional change that allowed the board of directors to elect the president, a shift from the previous system where the government appointed the BCB president.

Sajjadul Alam Alleges ‘Government Interference’ for Removal as BCB Director

Ahmed Sajjadul Alam has claimed “government interference” in his removal from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director role. Alam, a seasoned sports organizer in Bangladesh, was asked by the National Sports Council (NSC) to resign along with Jalal Yunus on August 19. The NSC, which oversees all sports federations, made the request following calls for reforms from the new sports adviser, Asif Mahmud. Yunus complied with the resignation request immediately, but Alam refused to step down.

“The National Sports Council’s decision [to remove me] is government interference,” Alam told thewicketinsider. “I am shocked with their decision. It is completely unacceptable. I have been made a councillor and subsequently a director for four years. I would have wanted to serve cricket for the rest of my term.”

On Friday, the BCB issued a press statement saying that it has changed the nominated directors on the basis of “philosophy of jurisprudence”.

“These nominations are made on the basis of philosophy of jurisprudence with the utmost careful application of prevailing rules,” the BCB said. “The government is committed to keep the activities of all federations/associations, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board, smooth, efficient, active and uninterrupted. The cooperation of all quarters is sought in the progress of advancing the country’s sports arena.”