Bangladesh Cricket Board has restored M Najmul Islam to its finance department after a board meeting in Dhaka on Saturday, ending weeks of uncertainty that followed his removal over controversial remarks and a formal explanation to the disciplinary unit.
Najmul attended the BCB directors’ meeting and walked out with his old responsibilities back. He later confirmed the decision to a local news platform, closing a chapter that had dragged through player protests and public pressure.
BCB media committee chairman Amzad Hussain offered the board’s official line. He said, “The explanation we sought from M Najmul Islam, meaning the show-cause notice from the board, he submitted to the disciplinary department. The disciplinary department later stated that his response was satisfactory.” That sentence explains why the board felt confident enough to hit the reset button.
The controversy had not emerged from thin air. Najmul had sparked outrage with comments about Tamim Iqbal and by asking players to return money, moves that united the dressing room against him. The backlash forced BCB to act fast, even if the action never fully aligned with its own constitution.
Players did not stay quiet. Mohammad Mithun, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz boycotted the BPL on 15 January, while the Cricketers’ Welfare Association president Mithun publicly demanded Najmul’s resignation. The pressure turned administrative missteps into a full-blown governance test.
BCB issued Najmul a show-cause notice and gave him 48 hours to respond. He replied in writing, and that reply now forms the spine of his return. The board has chosen procedure over sentiment.
BCB’s constitution limits its own power. The board cannot simply sack a director elected for four years unless death, mental incapacity, disciplinary punishment, bankruptcy, or repeated absence from meetings applies. That framework explains why Najmul’s removal from the finance role always looked temporary.
On Saturday, that temporary pause ended. Najmul regained the finance portfolio he had lost, and BCB signalled that it wants stability over escalation. Whether the players accept that decision now becomes the next test.
