A writ petition has been filed with the High Court challenging the government’s decision to dissolve the elected committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and form an 11-member ad-hoc committee, seeking a stay on the proceedings.
Seven lawyers filed the writ on Thursday with the relevant branch of the High Court, naming the Youth and Sports Secretary, the Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC), its Director (Planning and Development), and the president of the BCB’s ad-hoc committee as respondents.
The petition argues that while Section 21 of the National Sports Council Act allows formation of an ad-hoc committee in special circumstances — such as when a committee is unable to perform its duties properly or is engaged in conflicts of interest — no such allegations have been proven against BCB’s elected committee.
Nevertheless, the elected committee was dissolved and an ad-hoc committee was formed without properly following the legal provision, making the decision unlawful, the petitioners claim.
The writ seeks a rule as to why the decision should not be declared illegal, and a stay on the proceedings of the 7 April decision pending the court’s hearing.
On 7 April, the NSC dissolved the BCB board of directors led by Aminul Islam and formed an 11-member ad-hoc committee headed by former national captain Tamim Iqbal. Former cricketers Minhajul Abedin and Athar Ali Khan are also members.
The committee includes Roshna Imam, wife of BNP MP Boby Hajjaj. Mirza Yasir Abbas, Saeed Ibrahim Ahmed and Israfil Khosru are the sons of Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Mirza Abbas, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, respectively.
Other members include Tanjil Chowdhury, Mirza Salman Ispahani, Rafiqul Islam and Fahim Sinha.
