News
Aminul Islam insists he will not step aside as president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), even as a government-appointed committee hands in its findings on alleged irregularities at last October’s board elections.
Key facts first
• The three-member committee sent its report to the sports ministry on Friday.
• The ministry has already questioned the legitimacy of the 2025 election, Bangladesh’s non-appearance at the last T20 World Cup, and claims of favouritism inside the BCB.
• Six directors have now resigned since January, four of them in the past 48 hours.
‘I will sit in my chair’
Faced with growing pressure, Aminul struck a defiant note when speaking to Jamuna TV. “I will sit in my chair, what else can I do? I will be the last person to go,” he said. “I have a very good, dedicated and honest team [in the BCB]. I want to serve Bangladesh cricket with this team.”
He added: “Nobody is indispensable. I was the only [Bangladeshi] to work in the ICC. I am not saying I am something huge, but I am sitting here because of my experience. I left everything to be here to support my country. If this is no longer mine, I will look at another path. But I want to support my country.”
Why the inquiry matters
Last October’s election was fraught, with former captain Tamim Iqbal withdrawing and accusing Aminul of using undue influence. Those claims – along with reports of political meddling – prompted the ministry to look closer. For context, district and divisional councillors nominate and vote for directors, a process sometimes clouded by local politics.
Aminul’s version of events
The president confirmed he did not attend a face-to-face hearing with investigators because the proposed dates clashed with “two separate meetings”. Instead, he responded in writing. “I wasn’t involved with anything [in the board elections],” he maintained. His only role, he says, was limited to chasing up councillor lists from district ad-hoc committees.
“When only three names came from within those ad-hoc committees, we were forced to write to them again,” he explained. “We said that please send the names from within your ad-hoc committee. This is the only thing I was involved in.”
From caretaker to elected head
Aminul stepped in as government-nominated director in May 2025, replacing Faruque Ahmed, and labelled the post “a quick T20 innings”. He nonetheless ran in October’s poll and secured the presidency. That swift shift from caretaker to elected head is central to critics’ concerns.
What happens next?
The sports ministry has not announced its next move; sanctions could range from recommending fresh elections to asking for administrative changes. Legal analysts point out that, under current statutes, only the National Sports Council can formally dissolve a federation’s board.
Former selector and cricket pundit Naeem Sadiq offers a measured view: “The game has suffered enough distractions. Whatever the findings, the focus should return to player development and domestic structures. But that requires stability at the top.”
Short-term, the BCB still has fixtures to manage and a High-Performance camp due next month. Whether Aminul can “sit in his chair” while implementing those programmes may depend on how firmly the ministry acts and whether more directors choose to resign.
Either way, the next fortnight is likely to shape Bangladesh cricket’s governance for the rest of this World Cup cycle.
