Former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, who had been thought to be a candidate for becoming the next president, and 15 others withdrew their candidacy from the board of directors’ post for the forthcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board elections on Wednesday.Ìý
Tamim then urged the BCB to ‘stop the fixing’ in the elections. He also said that cricket had lost on Wednesday.Ìý
According to the returning officer, Sheikh Jobaed Hasan, two candidates from Category 1, 13 candidates from Category 2, and one from Category 3 withdrew their nominations in the scheduled time between 10:00am and 12:00pm on Wednesday.Ìý
Their decisions came after the election commission declared 15 club councillors invalid after a ruling from the High Court on Tuesday.Ìý
Ìý‘The reason for this withdrawal is very clear. I don’t think I need to give you any details or explanations,’ Tamim told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.Ìý
‘From the very beginning, I have been saying one thing, and you are all clear about it now—about which direction this election is going or how it is being conducted,’ he added.
Tamim had previously questioned the election process and accused the government as well as the current board president, Aminul Islam, of intervening. He repeated the same thing after pulling out of the elections.
‘Whatever seems right at any moment, whatever they want to do, is being done. This… this is not really an election. This is not an election, and this is not coherent with cricket,’ he added.
Tamim also said that they withdrew as part of their protests.Ìý
‘This is our way of protesting that we cannot be a part of this filth. A lot has been said at different times, but at the end of the day, I feel that we cannot be a part of this filth in any way,’ he said.
The left-handed opener also accused a certain party of intimidating the election candidates.Ìý
‘I always say one thing: cricket, Bangladesh cricket, does not deserve this, and the cricket fans of Bangladesh do not deserve this either. Let me also say this: I don’t know how many will admit it, but many more would have withdrawn today. They have been persuaded or pressured in various ways to stop them,’ he said.
‘Almost 50 per cent have withdrawn. I will speak about this in detail with you later. You may win, you may lose, but today, cricket has lost 100 per cent. There is no doubt about it,’ he added.
Tamim, who represents Old DOHS, called for a stop to the fixing in the elections.Ìý
He said, ‘You say loudly that fixing in Bangladesh needs to be stopped; first, stop the fixing in the elections, then think about stopping fixing in cricket. So, I have nothing more to say.Ìý
I think it is crystal clear to everyone who was involved at what time, what kind of involvement they had, what kind of interference occurred, and how the rules were changed at will for convenience.’
‘I will end my speech by saying that this election has become a black mark for the Bangladesh Cricket Board. And those who are part of this election, I’m sure they also understand that this was not an election in any sense. So thank you; I have no further message to deliver from my side,’ he concluded.Ìý
Apart from Tamim, current board director Fahim Sinha (Surjotorun), Rafiqul Islam Babu (Indira Krira Chakra), Masuduzzaman (Mohammedan), and Israfil Khashru (Exume Cricketers) are among others who withdrew their candidacy form Category 2.Ìý
Meanwhile, Mir Helal from Chattogram District Council under Chattogram Division also withdrew, meaning Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury and singer Asif Akbar were set to be elected unopposed.Ìý
Apart from that, Towhid Tarek from Pabna and Siraj Uddin Mohammad Alamgir from Category 3 also pulled out from the election race.Ìý
The voting is scheduled on October 6.Ìý
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