BCB election to proceed as planned despite High Court suspension on nomination letter
The state had appealed against the High Court's order, but today, Sunday, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division, Justice Farah Mahbub, ruled that the High Court's suspension order would remain in force.
The High Court's order suspending the effectiveness of BCB President Aminul Islam's 18 September letter regarding councillor nominations for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election will remain in place. According to the schedule, the BCB election is set to take place tomorrow, 6 October.
The state had appealed against the High Court's order, but today, Sunday, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division, Justice Farah Mahbub, ruled that the High Court's suspension order would remain in force.
During today's hearing, the counsel for the writ petitioners requested the court to stay the election itself. In response, the court stated, "We are not suspending the election. The election should proceed."
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On 18 September, BCB President Aminul Islam sent a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as the divisional and district sports associations, cancelling the previous councillor nomination forms and instructing them to submit new, properly completed forms. The validity of this letter was challenged in a writ petition, and on 22 September, a High Court bench issued a rule along with an interim order, suspending the effectiveness of the 18 September letter.
The state appealed the High Court order in the Appellate Division on 22 September, and it was taken up for hearing in the Chamber Court the same evening. The Chamber Court then adjourned the matter until 28 September.
On 28 September, the Chamber Court extended the stay on the High Court's order until 5 October and set today, Sunday, for the next hearing. The matter appeared as item 11 on today's cause list.
At the hearing, Additional Attorney General Mohammad Arshadur Rouf and Anik R Haque represented the state, along with Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud.
On the petitioners' side, senior lawyer Md. Ruhul Quddus and lawyer Kaiser Kamal appeared, assisted by advocate Md. Shafiqul Islam.
BCB was represented by counsel Mahin M Rahman.
According to the official election schedule, the BCB election is to be held on Monday.
After the board election results are declared, the elected 25 directors will then choose the president and vice-president of the BCB. Only members of the BCB's General Council (councillors) are eligible to contest for director positions.
Initially, the deadline to submit councillor names was 17 September, but it was later extended to 6 PM on 22 September. In the meantime, on 18 September, a letter signed by BCB President Aminul Islam titled "Regarding the preparation of the final list of councillors of the General Council of Bangladesh Cricket Board approved by the National Sports Council (as amended in 2024)" was sent to the Youth and Sports Ministry secretary and the divisional/district sports associations.
The letter stated that although the BCB constitution requires councillor nominations to be made from members of the ad hoc committees of district and divisional sports associations, this requirement had not been properly followed. It instructed that the previous forms be cancelled and new ones, sent by the BCB, be duly filled out and submitted by 6 PM on 22 September.
