Uncertainty grows over BCB polls amid conspiracy claims

Concerns and confusion over the upcoming elections of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) continues to grow with Dhaka-based clubs hurling conspiracy allegations and the board showing no urgency even though the deadline is getting close.

According to Article 15.1 of the BCB constitution, the term of the board of directors would end four years from the date of its first meeting. The incumbent board held its first meeting on October 7, 2021, hence, the election would have to be held by October 7 this year.

In accordance with sections 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 of the constitution, the BCB CEO, under the direction of the president, has to notify the concerned parties for the nomination of councillors to form the next general assembly, and according to the aforementioned timeline, it has to be done by September 7, exactly two weeks from now.

On July 14, BCB president Aminul Islam told the media in an event that he was optimistic about holding the elections on time.

With so little time left, the board officials, in theory, should be busy with election-related activities. But when this newspaper reached out to a top board official, he was unwilling to comment on whether there was any development in this regard but said there were many rumours swirling around.

Another top official was yet to hear from the BCB honcho when the polls will take place, saying, "I have heard that the elections will be held in the first week [of October] from people in the board but I have not heard it from the BCB president yet."

Another BCB director claimed that 'dirty games' are taking place, making him reconsider his participation in the elections. Recently, long-serving director Mahbub Anam had told a national daily that he would not participate in the polls.

With such insinuations going around, another development materialised yesterday as 76 Dhaka clubs under the banner of Dhaka Cricket Club Organisers' Association held a press conference, alleging conspiracy to sabotage the upcoming BCB elections.

"We have come to know that there is a conspiracy to run the board through an ad-hoc committee. The BCB constitution does not have provision for running the board through an ad-hoc committee. The current situation doesn't warrant an ad-hoc committee. We want elections," the organisation's president Rafiqul Islam told the media.

However, when asked where the talk of ad-hoc committee to run the board instead of holding elections was coming from, the organisers could not provide a source.

The club organisers also expressed concerns over the ad-hoc committees that are currently running the 60 district and five divisional cricket bodies as they feel many worthy organisers were left out.

"Many capable names have been removed from the ad-hoc committees. But there is no set rule that BCB councillors will have to be picked from the ad-hoc committee. We are hoping that capable people will become BCB councillors," Rafiqul added.

According to the current make-up of the BCB board of directors, 12 councillors come from Dhaka-based clubs, 10 from district and divisional bodies, two are nominated by the NSC, one comes from organisations.