Three-Way Battle for BCB Power Includes Cricket Coordinator Tamim

Sports Desk

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will hold its executive committee elections in October, with elected officials set to serve for four years. With the elections approaching, a power struggle has intensified within the BCB. In this battle, the current president of the BCB, Faruk Ahmed, is up against board director Mahbub Anam and recently retired cricketer Tamim Iqbal.

After the downfall of the Awami League government on August 5 of last year, the elected president Nazmul Hassan Papon was forced to step down. Faruk was appointed president in his place. With Awami League-affiliated directors going into hiding, many positions became vacant.

For the past eight months, Faruk and his newly appointed director, Nazmul Abedin Fahim, have made most of the decisions at the BCB. However, these decisions have sparked a series of controversies, with the national team’s performance in decline. Furthermore, Faruk has been accused of financial misconduct amounting to 120 crore taka.

The BCB is currently facing severe chaos and disorder. Taking advantage of this situation, Tamim has attempted to make his move. Interestingly, he has also contributed to creating disorder. On Friday, along with a few cricketers, he pressured Faruk in the BCB office, resulting in the postponement of Taohid Hridoy’s disciplinary punishment by one year. He also expressed his displeasure regarding the investigation into fixing allegations in the BPL.

Questions have arisen regarding two batters from Shinepukur Cricket Club being unusually dismissed in a match against Tamim’s Gulshan Cricket Club. There was widespread uproar across the country, with allegations that the dismissals were intentional. The BCB conducted an investigation, reviewing their dismissals and questioning the players, only to find that Tamim was displeased with the process.

In the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, Tamim was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club when he suddenly fell ill on the field. He suffered a heart attack, putting his life at risk, and had a stent inserted in his heart. It is now known that Tamim will not return to the field as a player due to his health condition. However, this has allowed him to enter the BCB as a director, with the aspiration to one day become president.

Tamim intends to join the BCB as a director through either his position as a councilor of the Gulshan Cricket Club or the Chittagong Division Sports Association. If he receives government support, he hopes to become president. For this, he has suddenly become vocal about Faruk’s alleged misconduct.

Also vying for the president’s position is Mahbub Anam, who has been a director for a long time. The BNP-affiliated sports organizer is a patron of Mohammedan. Interestingly, throughout the Awami League’s tenure, he was an important director at the BCB and worked closely with Papon. Despite being a director for many years, he has never been able to become president. Now, he is determined to fulfill his long-cherished dream. He intends to secure the position with the support of BNP and Jamaat. He has also been making statements against Faruk in the media.