Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam insists he has stuck to the rule-book throughout a fraught election build-up, dismissing suggestions of government meddling and welcoming a court decision that clears the way for Thursday’s vote.
Key facts first. A writ petition had challenged Aminul’s 18 September letter to the sports ministry, a note that ordered all previous councillor nomination forms to be scrapped and fresh ones submitted. The High Court suspended that instruction on 22 September; on Sunday, chamber judge Justice Farah Mahbub allowed that suspension to stand, meaning the poll can go ahead on 6 October.
Speaking soon after the ruling, Aminul tried to calm the waters. “I want to clarify one thing. There was a writ against my letter … I was forced to send the letter … based on the constitution,” he said. “I want to defend myself [by saying] that I was always within the constitution.”
Why the letter in the first place? Aminul argues the original nomination lists, sent in by districts and divisions, did not meet constitutional requirements – each local sports body must include both a cricketer and an organiser, but most are currently being run by ad-hoc committees. “When these lists reached me, I saw only three [districts/divisions] qualified,” he explained. “So we couldn’t do an election with three individuals.”
Legal objections, though, have fuelled talk of manipulation. Accusers claim the late call for new forms effectively narrowed the field. Aminul rejects that. He also rebuffs the notion that Dhaka’s political heavyweights have tried to steer events. “I didn’t think there was any influence,” he said. “I feel I need to continue for Bangladesh cricket. If anyone feels I am not good enough, I am ready to leave any time.”
The ‘sports adviser’ – an unelected but influential government figure – keeps cropping up in gossip. Aminul paints him as a facilitator, not a puppeteer. “He is a person at the ministerial level but I know that he spent night and day, going to different places so that we can have a fair election and we can form a good board,” the president noted.
That stance contrasts with claims from former captain Tamim Iqbal, who dramatically withdrew his candidacy last week, citing interference. Aminul declined to address Tamim’s allegations on Sunday, nor did he comment on the surprise re-appearance of Faruque Ahmed, himself ousted as BCB president in May but now standing as a councillor after filing paperwork just hours past the official deadline.
Observers remain sceptical. One senior administrator, preferring anonymity while litigation is ongoing, said the process has been “untidy and unnecessarily rushed”. A district coach added that players were “confused about who is eligible to vote and why the goalposts kept moving”.
Yet, barring an eleventh-hour injunction, ballot papers will be handed out at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday morning. The board’s 171 councillors – drawn from districts, divisions, clubs and former player groups – will elect 22 directors, who in turn choose the president. It is a pivotal moment: domestic cricket finances are stretched, the men’s national side are wobbling after a middling season, and the women’s programme still lacks a full calendar.
Analyst Reaz Rahman points out the stakes: “If a new administration arrives with a shaky mandate, sponsors hesitate, and development stalls. Whatever your view of Aminul, a transparent vote is vital.”
Behind the legal jargon and factional lobbying lies a simple truth: Bangladesh cricket needs stability. Thursday’s election may not deliver peace in one stroke, but, as Aminul put it, “If we can have a fair election and we can form a good board,” the game at least has a chance to focus on runs and wickets again.
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