Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) vice-president Faruque Ahmed has dismissed allegations of irregularities in the latest board election, stating that the absence of any real opposition left little scope for manipulation.
His comments came after appearing before an independent investigation committee formed by the National Sports Council (NSC) earlier this month to examine the election process. The committee has already interviewed several individuals as part of its inquiry.
Faruque addressed concerns over the delayed submission of his nomination papers, explaining that the matter had already been clarified to both the তদন্ত committee and election officials.
“They asked about a few specific issues, including why my nomination was submitted late,” he said. “One of the four clubs I represent as a councillor was involved in a complaints tribunal. There was a delay in delivering the tribunal’s decision, and with the approval of the board president and CEO, I was given an additional two hours to submit my papers.”
He added that he had provided the same explanation earlier to the election commissioner.
Ahead of the election, 15 candidates withdrew their nominations, with several others stepping aside later citing similar concerns. According to Faruque, this lack of competition effectively ruled out any possibility of manipulation.
“There was no opposition in the election, so how could there be manipulation?” he said. “There were 76 eligible voters, of whom 42 cast their votes, and I received the highest number. That means 34 votes were not cast. With no opponent, the chance of manipulation is minimal—almost none. In my view, the voting process was conducted properly.”
The তদন্ত committee continues its review of the election, which has been surrounded by controversy following claims of irregularities. The findings are expected to shed further light on the governance and transparency of the board’s electoral system.
