At least eight candidates, including the outgoing president Aminul Islam and vice-president Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, are set to be elected unopposed in the BCB board of directors’ elections today.
Aminul and Fahim’s way was paved after the third candidate from their division, Dhaka, Abdullah Al Fuad Redwan, announced on Sunday that he wouldn’t contest in the election that was marred by controversy since the beginning.
‘The ministry of youth and sports, Mr Aminul and Mr Fahim of the Cricket Board, plus the Election Commission—they have woven a garland without a thread,’ he said.
‘That garland will never be put around my neck. Therefore, I am withdrawing from these intransparent elections,’ he added.
However, after a directive from the appellate division of the Supreme Court, the election commission reinstated the councillorships of 15 clubs on Sunday.
That means Iftekhar Rahman, the chairman of the media committee of the previous board, got his candidacy back in category two.
According to the schedule, a total of 23 directors from three categories will be elected for a four-year term by voting, which is scheduled between 10:00am and 4:00pm today at a city hotel in Dhaka.
However, councillors can cast their votes via postal or e-ballot until 2:00pm. Those who already cast their votes in category two via postal or e-ballot had to change because of the inclusion of Iftekhar.
Two directors will be nominated by the National Sports Council.
The next board president will be elected by the votes of the elected directors at 7:30pm before the final result of the elections is published at 6:00pm.
Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury and Asif Akbar from Chattogram, Abdur Razzak and Julfiqar Ali Khan from Khulna, Rahat Shams from Sylhet, and Shakhawat Hossain from Barishal—all from Category One—have no opposing candidates in their respective divisions.
According to the election commission, a total of 34 candidates will be contesting in three categories.
Several candidates, mostly from Category Two, including former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, withdrew their nominations previously.
The representatives of 48 clubs even threatened to boycott the upcoming leagues if the election was not rescheduled.
Tamim and others accused the current board president, Aminul, and the sports ministry of intervening in the election.
However, Aminul denied those claims, saying that he did everything under his jurisdiction as the board president.
‘An election is an election. I had a role. We did everything within the constitution of the Bangladesh Cricket Board,’ Aminul told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.
Aminul was elected in May after the last president, Faruque Ahmed, was removed, followed by a no-confidence motion from eight out of nine BCB directors, who reportedly struggled to work under his leadership.
However, Faruque was expected to be back on the board as a director, as he’s one of the candidates from Category Two.
Khaled Mashud Pilot, another former national team captain, is contesting from Category Three. His opponent is Debabarata Paul, the former secretary of CWAB and a BCB match referee.
