The National Sports Council (NSC) approved a reconstituted ad-hoc committee for the Dhaka Divisional Sports Association. The new line-up no longer includes former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, with Aminul Islam Bulbul also a former national skipper and the current BCB president taking his place.
The reshuffle also affected the Dhaka District ad-hoc committee, where Nazmul Abedin Fahim has been brought in to replace Sathira Akter Jessie.
Ashraful confirmed to the media that the NSC had contacted him beforehand regarding the change. He accepted without hesitation, citing his admiration for Bulbul as the reason for stepping aside.
“If he contests the election from my position, since he wanted to run again, and as he has been working as board president for the past three or four months, I said straight away: ‘Please give it to him quickly, I have no problem.’”
He added that Bulbul had been an idol since his early days in cricket:
“From 1997–98, when I was a ball boy, I grew up watching him play. Even my Level Three coaching qualification was under him. So when the NSC said Bulbul bhai would contest the election from my position, I gladly gave it up.”
For Bulbul, the move strengthens his pathway to the upcoming BCB elections. Having taken over as president after Faruque Ahmed was removed through a vote of no confidence, he initially described his stint as a “T20 innings” a short, sharp spell. However, earlier this month he signalled his intent to stay longer, comparing his approach now to a “one-day innings” in order to finish the work he has begun.
Although he could have continued as an NSC-nominated director, Bulbul is seeking election instead, reasoning that an elected position would not be vulnerable to changes in government. Speculation has grown that he will stand as a director from the Dhaka Division, with his inclusion in the committee appearing to confirm that path.
Alongside Bulbul, ten others remain on the Dhaka Divisional Sports Association’s committee, all of whom were part of the previous panel.
Meanwhile, former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has also declared his candidacy for the elections, due in the first week of October. Ashraful, who once shared the field with Tamim, offered his best wishes:
“Our colleague Tamim Iqbal is also taking part in the elections. I wish him all the best. I believe if he joins the board, he’ll take on a major role. There’s cricket operations, there’s game development he’ll have plenty of scope to contribute.”
