The upcoming board of directors’ election of the Bangladesh Cricket Board took yet another twist as the election commission excluded 15 clubs from the councillor’s list after a ruling from the High Court on Tuesday.
It was learnt that the ruling came after a writ petition was filed challenging the decision to reinstate the councillors of the 15 clubs.
The clubs had initially been removed from the draft voters list following a recommendation for further investigation from the Anti-Corruption Commission.
But following their appeals, the election commission included those 15 clubs in the final voters list published on Friday. Subsequent nomination filing and scrutiny were also completed with their names included.
However, after the latest court directive, the election commission has formally excluded their councillors from the electoral roles.
‘We are bound to follow the order of the Honourable High Court. Accordingly, the 15 clubs have been excluded from the councillor’s list and will not be able to take part in the October 6 election,’ chief election commissioner Mohammad Hossain told the reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.
‘Our responsibility is to conduct the polls in line with the law and the directives of the court,’ he added.
It means that Iftekhar Rahman, the current chairman of the media committee of the BCB, who is representing the Vikings Cricket Academy, will not be able to take part in the upcoming elections. He was supposed to contest for one of the 12 directors’ posts from category two.
Israfil Khasru, the son of BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, representing Exume Cricketers, was also excluded from the forthcoming polls after the latest development.
The latest decision of the election commission could affect the run of former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, who has been thought of as one of the front-runners for becoming the next president of the BCB along with the current one, Aminul Islam.
Meanwhile, the election commission on Tuesday released its latest orders on objections and appeals on the candidates’ list published on the previous day.
Former director SM Abdullah Al Fuad Redwan, representing Jamalpur District Sports Council under Dhaka Division, and Showkat Hossain, from Chandpur District Sports Council, have been reinstated in the candidate list.
‘A total of five appeals were filed. Of those, we have accepted two and rejected three. Out of the three nomination papers cancelled by our Returning Officer, two have been declared valid, and one remains cancelled due to a dispute over the signatures of the proposer and seconder,’ said Hossain.
After Abdullah’s candidacy was declared valid, the current president, Aminul, and vice-president, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, will now have to contest from Dhaka Division for their respective directors’ posts on October 6.
According to the schedule, a final list of candidates will be published today at 2:00pm after the window of revoking the nominations ends at 12:00pm.
