As the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election approaches, the debate between the two presidential candidates, current BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul and former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, has intensified. The controversy follows allegations that Bulbul received a threat over his participation in the upcoming election on 4 October.
Bulbul claimed that he received a call from an unknown number asking, “Won’t you contest the election?” The call reportedly came 2–3 days ago. In response, BCB Chief Executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting official armed protection to ensure Bulbul’s safety.
Speaking on a Jamuna TV programme, Tamim dismissed any suggestion of his involvement. “I haven’t really followed this closely. If it really happened, it is very unfortunate. If someone believes it, I am a cricketer, not a terrorist. I am not a terrorist (laughs). I feel that whenever Bulbul bhai makes a comment, it should be clearly stated. Sometimes his statements leave questions,” Tamim said.
He also added that if such a call did occur, the number must exist and could be traced by the country’s intelligence agencies. “If he truly cares about his safety, the number should be included in the letter. If nothing like this happened, it should be clearly stated that it didn’t,” he noted. Tamim further advised Bulbul to consider filing a general diary (GD) with the authorities to clarify the matter.
Tamim refrained from commenting on Bulbul’s work as BCB president, citing the short time he has been in office. “I have heard he is doing a lot, but I haven’t seen anything personally. Honestly, three months is very short. It’s not fair to judge him positively or negatively in such a short time,” he said.
Separately, Tamim raised concerns about the transparency of the upcoming election, given that Bulbul remains in office while contesting. Speaking to a private television channel, he said, “I think he should resign. It is difficult to ensure how fair the election will be. Since he is an honest person, I believe he will take a transparent decision. If he wants, he can set a good precedent—resign a month before the election. This way, no one will have the opportunity to question anything before the vote.”
Tamim has confirmed that he will contest the election from the club category for a director’s position and is not running for president at this stage. “First, I want to join the board and contribute to cricket in the country. If the directors support me, I am interested in taking the president’s responsibility in the future,” he said.
