The Bangladesh Cricket Board has asked its integrity unit to look into corruption claims made against newly-elected director Mokhlesur Rahman, with the investigation focusing on this season’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
A board spokesperson confirmed the decision on Friday, saying, “Yes, the integrity unit has opened a formal inquiry and Mr Rahman has stepped aside as audit-committee chairman to avoid any conflict of interest.” Rahman, elected on 6 October as a councillor from Chapainawabganj, will remain a director for the time being.
The allegations were first detailed in an online report by journalist Riasad Azim, published on Facebook last Thursday. No formal complaint has yet reached the board, but the integrity unit, led by former ICC anti-corruption head Alex Marshall, was given the file and told to “get to the bottom of it”.
Marshall already has another sizeable dossier on his desk – a 900-page review into alleged irregularities during last year’s BPL. “Two major investigations at once isn’t ideal,” one senior board official admitted, “but we cannot ignore credible accusations.”
Rahman is the second director to come under scrutiny in the space of a month. On 15 December, players briefly refused to take the field after fellow director M Nazmul Islam used social media and a press conference to criticise them. The board later “released” Nazmul from his post as finance-committee chair, though he, too, retained his directorship and was spotted in the president’s box during recent fixtures at Mirpur.
The timing is awkward. Bangladesh are already sparring with the ICC over their qualification route for the 2026 T20 World Cup, and any further reputational damage could weaken their hand. Former national captain Habibul Bashar put it bluntly: “When the house is in disorder, outside doors start closing.”
For now, the board insists proper process will prevail. “We owe it to supporters to act quickly but fairly,” the spokesperson said, “and we expect full cooperation from Mr Rahman and anyone else named.” The integrity unit will interview witnesses next week; its initial findings are due before the end of the BPL season.
