On Thursday, 25 September, the Election Commission held a hearing on objections to the draft voter list. A question had been raised over Tamim’s councillorship, but the complainant did not appear at the hearing. The commission ultimately dismissed the challenge, clearing the way for Tamim to remain a valid candidate in the upcoming polls.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election is set for 6 October, and the contest has already turned stormy. Incumbent president Aminul Islam Bulbul faces a strong challenge from former national captain Tamim Iqbal, whose entry into the race has brought fresh intensity and controversy.
Despite this clearance, the issue of Gulshan Cricket Club remains a flashpoint. The club, which took part in the Super League of the most recent Dhaka Premier League season and counts Tamim as its vice-president, has not been included in the BCB’s final voter list.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, Tamim was blunt in his criticism. “I told them one thing,” he said. “Since this is about cricket and the cricket board, sometimes decisions have to go beyond strict legal interpretations. There are 300 cricketers and their families involved. The commission must make the right call with that reality in mind.”
He went on to question the rationale behind excluding established clubs from the process. “What matters more? The address of a cricket club or its history? These clubs did not appear overnight. They have records, they have financial accounts. Weakening one side by stripping clubs of their rights is not the way forward.”
Tamim accused his rivals of trying to undermine him through manipulation. “This is being done to weaken one side, and everyone knows it. Things have sunk so low that in order to win or to satisfy personal ambitions, people are willing to play with the lives of 300 cricketers. I have spoken to my seniors, and they tell me they have never seen such filth in the history of the cricket board. What is happening today will become a precedent, and it will be followed in the future. That is why I urge everyone: do not do this. Hold this election honestly.”
His comments underline the growing bitterness surrounding the polls. While BCB elections have historically involved behind-the-scenes manoeuvring, Tamim insists that the current situation has crossed all previous limits. With less than two weeks to go, the battle for the presidency promises to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory.
