Asif Mahmud threatened voters after summoning them, alleges Aminul
Yesterday, elections were held at a five-star hotel in the capital, through which 23 directors were elected for a four-year term. The National Sports Council also nominated two additional directors.
Former national football team captain and current Sports Affairs Secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Aminul Haque, has accused the government of interfering in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections.
Yesterday, elections were held at a five-star hotel in the capital, through which 23 directors were elected for a four-year term. The National Sports Council also nominated two additional directors.
Subsequently, former national cricket team captain Aminul Islam was elected as the new president through their votes. However, Aminul Haque has alleged that Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan acted in an authoritarian manner to ensure Aminul Islam's presidency. He also claimed that Asif Mahmud personally threatened several councillors.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
At the inauguration ceremony of the Zia Inter-Volleyball Tournament at the Handball Stadium in Paltan on Tuesday, Aminul Haque said, "The main concern regarding the BCB election is government interference and the direct involvement of the sports adviser. There is evidence of his interference in every instance. I was shocked to learn that the adviser personally threatened various councillors and pressured them to vote in a particular way. Several councillors have called me and said that they were summoned and threatened in this manner."
Earlier, 16 candidates, including former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, withdrew from the election, alleging that the process was "fixed" in advance. They too had accused the government of interfering in the election.
They further claimed that the letter issued by BCB President Aminul Islam—requiring nominations for district and divisional councillors to come from the ad hoc committee—was invalid. Although the matter went to court, the election was not halted. The High Court eventually ruled that Aminul's letter was valid.
Commenting on that letter, BNP leader Aminul Haque said, "The letter issued by Bulbul Bhai (Aminul Islam), which district and divisional sports organisers challenged through a writ petition, initiated a legal process. Although the election has been held, the court has stated that a full bench of the High Court will deliver a final verdict after a complete hearing. This means that if the High Court later declares the letter invalid, the entire election process could be annulled, even though members have already been elected."
He also alleged financial transactions in the BCB election, saying, "I have information that financial dealings took place. It is deeply distressing that board directors might have been elected through monetary exchange. This raises serious doubts about the future of Bangladesh cricket in the hands of such individuals. I believe that neither cricket enthusiasts nor sports organisers in Bangladesh will accept this questionable election process as legitimate."
