Aminul Islam Bulbul officially began his term as BCB president with a busy and eventful first day. The former Test captain surprised many by giving a detailed presentation himself during the board meeting—a first, according to director Iftekhar Rahman.
The four key programmes he introduced were: Protect the Spirit of the Game, High Performance for Everyone, Connect and Grow, and Transparency and Good Governance in All Areas. All four are already in motion. Directors have also been asked to submit their own departmental improvement plans by 30 June. Before the meeting, Aminul visited various BCB departments and even spoke to Test camp players and umpires taking part in a workshop at the academy.
The major theme of his leadership appears to be decentralisation. As part of a pilot project, the BCB will set up ‘mini BCB’ regional offices in Rajshahi and in the Dhaka–Chattogram zone. Saiful Alam Swapan and Salahuddin Chowdhury will lead the two respective areas. The aim is to shift early-stage cricket development—like school cricket—away from central control in Dhaka. According to BCB’s media chief, this move is separate from the old regional cricket association model and will give local units more responsibility. Previous attempts at decentralisation didn’t progress, but the new board is combining past ideas with Aminul’s fresh approach.
The board also reviewed BPL earnings. Ticket sales brought in Tk 12.34 crore, with a net profit of Tk 3.35 crore after deductions. However, over Tk 21 crore is still owed by franchises and sponsors. If collected, BCB expects a total profit of around Tk 75 lakh. To improve governance, the board will now appoint a CFO and bring in an HR consultant. Other decisions include launching an umpire development and digitisation programme, shifting the next BCL season to September, and holding a curator training course under Toby Lumsden.
