The much-anticipated Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election is over. On Monday, after the polls ended, the new board included four former national cricketers, with Aminul Islam Bulbul as President, Faruk Ahmed as Vice-President, and Khaled Masud Pilot and Abdur Razzak among the 25 directors. It is a positive sign that former cricketers like them are joining the board as policymakers for the country’s cricket.
However, the election was questionable in many aspects since the schedule was announced on 21st September. From government interference to councillor nominations, heavyweight candidates like Tamim Iqbal and Lutfor Rahman Badal withdrawing from the election created a bizarre situation and exposed loopholes in the BCB constitution.
Although this could have been a golden opportunity to reform cricket administration, instead, it turned into a game of power and influence over honesty.
Following the political shift on 5th August last year, many hoped that BCB would see real change under the interim board members. Many specialists also believed it could be the perfect stage for renowned cricket organizers to make a difference. But rather than bringing clarity, this year’s BCB elections exposed the old and dark reality of institutional and administrative problems.
Ex-national team captain Tamim Iqbal, who intended to contest the election as a Category-2 director, withdrew his nomination last Wednesday, raising serious concerns.
Alongside him, 16 more candidates, later rising to 20, canceled their candidacy. Tamim said at a press conference, “As you know, today we withdrew our nominations about 14 to 15 of us, including myself. The reason is very clear. This election has left a black mark on the Bangladesh Cricket Board. I am sure those involved in the process can also see that, in no way, could this be considered a genuine election.”
“You may win, you may lose, but today cricket has lost 100 percent. There is no doubt about that. Those of you who loudly call for ending match-fixing in Bangladesh, first stop the fixing in the elections, and only then think about stopping fixing in cricket,” Tamim added.
After the poll ended, Debabrata Paul, who lost the Category-3 director election to Khaled Masud Pilot, was seen expressing his frustration to the press. Debabrata received 7 votes, while Pilot secured 35. He criticized the election results, saying, “I had told you that I would stay till the end. I repeatedly said that the way Category-1 and 2 elections were held is completely unacceptable. Why did you stay till the end? Why didn’t you boycott the election?”
“I met the President several times and urged that the election be held impartially. I only wanted fair participation. But I never imagined that things would become this chaotic. This election has been entirely influenced,” he added.
There were reports that the e-ballots for the BCB election were filled two days before the election. Following that, Abdullah Al Fuad Redwan, a candidate for the Dhaka Division director post, announced his withdrawal as a councillor of the Jamalpur District Sports Association.
On 5th October, Redwan claimed that this BCB election has even outdone the “night voting” during the Awami League government. He said, “Night voting… yet they managed to fill the ballot boxes, which is a different matter. They are carrying out such actions so cunningly that they have even surpassed night voting.”
The controversy first emerged at the district and divisional levels over councillor nominations. Allegations arose that some nominations were “manipulated” and the submission deadline was extended twice.
On Monday, 156 voters were to elect 17 directors from 28 candidates, while six candidates were already elected unopposed. Once the board is formed, the president and vice-presidents will be chosen. No major surprises were expected.
The stage was set and the voters were ready. However, on election day, there was little excitement, and instead, a sense of monotony and frustrating repetition dominated the BCB election. The board was once again holding elections for its governing body for the next four years. Yet the process felt less like a democratic exercise and more like a staged drama, where control and controversy played the leading roles.
After the voting process, which began at 10 a.m., the election commission announced the preliminary results at 6:30 p.m. Out of a total of 156 votes, 115 councillors cast their votes.
This election saw two major controversies. First, in a letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports on 18th September, Bulbul admitted that several district and divisional sports associations failed to submit proper councillor nominations. This triggered accusations of deadline extensions and undue influence. Second, there was a tug-of-war over 15 Dhaka clubs, whose councillor positions were suspended, reinstated, and suspended again. Three dramatic changes occurred in just one week. Protests and withdrawals followed amid the chaos.
Even a day prior to the election, another twist unfolded. A Supreme Court chamber judge overturned the High Court injunction at the last moment, restoring voting rights to the 15 clubs and forcing the election commission to reprint the ballot papers.
A withdrawn candidate from the BCB election told Times of Bangladesh, on condition of anonymity, that the damage is done. “Bangladesh cricket remains caught in the same familiar cycle. This election promised change but ultimately repeats the same old, fragile system,” he said.
He also added, “We have seen fixed and scripted elections during Najmul Hasan Papon’s tenure. This BCB election has also sparked significant controversy and discussion.”
In light of the remarks of that cricket organizer, it can be said that this election was merely old wine in a new bottle.
Although the newly elected President Aminul Islam said, “Some unwanted incidents have occurred. But since our goal is a single one, I believe we should move beyond minor issues and work to advance Bangladesh cricket.”
The National Sports Council (NSC) has replaced businessman Ishfaq Ahsan with Rubaba Dowla as a director on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), marking the final twist in an already eventful election process. Ishfaq, reportedly affiliated with the ruling Awami League, was removed from the board amid concerns over his political ties. His replacement, Rubaba, is a prominent corporate leader and women’s sports organiser who currently serves as Oracle’s Country Director for Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. She is expected to take charge of the BCB’s Women’s Wing. A former executive at Grameenphone and Airtel, Rubaba also served as President of the Bangladesh Badminton Federation (2009–2015) and played a key role in founding the National Cricket Academy in Mirpur in 2007.
