The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) experienced an unexpected shift in leadership over the weekend, concluding with the swift appointment of Aminul Islam as the new president. This transition comes after the sports ministry made the decisive move to remove Faruque Ahmed from his director position on Thursday, prompted by a no-confidence motion from his peers, ending his nine-month presidency.
Typically, such governmental and administrative processes are not executed with such promptness. It was uncommon for the BCB directors either, who, after submitting the no-confidence motion, quickly arranged virtual meetings to validate the ministry’s decisions and convened an urgent gathering by Friday. The efficiency displayed was notably absent during Nazmul Hasan’s lengthy 15-year presidency.
The letter of no-confidence, though not officially recognised in the BCB constitution, was a critical factor in Faruque’s removal. Released publicly the same evening as Faruque declined to resign, the document characterised him as a heavy-handed leader. One cited incident involved his controversial decision to terminate Chandika Hathurusingha’s role as head coach, which he raised during his very first press conference as president. The dismissal decision was made during an October 17 board meeting, amidst a Test series against Pakistan. Present were nine other board directors, alongside CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
Interestingly, during Nazmul Hasan’s tenure, the board directors often rubber-stamped decisions, acting under the influence of his loyalists. Despite instances of contentious actions, like the umpiring scandal in 2016, there was rarely any dissent within the BCB.
Further accusations against Faruque from board directors included allegations of misuse of power, particularly in bringing teams such as Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings into the previous Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season. Issues with Rajshahi’s player payments were notable, necessitating governmental intervention. Missing from the discourse, however, was any mention of director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.
The swift administrative change leaves Aminul Islam with substantial tasks ahead, aiming to steer Bangladesh cricket through its current challenges and potential opportunities. Whether this leadership transition leads to a more harmonious and effective BCB remains to be seen.
