With two ICC officials arriving in Bangladesh on June 1 ahead of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election set for June 7, questions quickly emerged about the purpose of their visit and what role—if any—they might play in the lead-up to the election. The delegation’s interactions with key cricket administrators, the backdrop of a recently dissolved board, and subsequent statements from the rival committee have all fed an atmosphere of speculation.
Key takeaways
- The ICC sent a two-member delegation to Bangladesh on June 1 ahead of the BCB election scheduled for June 7.
- Dr Mohammed Moosajee (Cricket South Africa) and Tavengwa Mukuhlani (Zimbabwe Cricket) met Tamim Iqbal and Faim Sinha on the day they arrived.
- The Bulbul-led BCB setup was dissolved on April 7 by the National Sports Council following a five-member probe.
- The dissolved committee said it urged the ICC not to recognise any election conducted by, or under the authority of, the ad hoc committee on June 7.
- The ICC later clarified that the delegation would report its findings to the ICC Board and would not provide media commentary.
Why the visit drew attention
After the two ICC board representatives landed in Bangladesh on June 1, speculation spread about the timing and intent of their trip. On the day of their arrival, the delegation met the ad-hoc board head Tamim Iqbal and influential director Faim Sinha. Reports and rumours then intensified from Tuesday, June 2, after the ICC officials met four former directors linked to the Aminul Islam Bulbul-led board at a city hotel.
Background: the dissolved board and the ad hoc committee
The attention around the visit stems from the administrative shake-up at BCB. The National Sports Council (NSC) dissolved the Bulbul-led board on April 7 following findings from a five-member investigation panel. The action was taken under Section 21 of the NSC’s 2018 policy, which permits measures against any sports body under NSC jurisdiction if irregularities are established.
On the same date—April 7—the NSC also appointed Tamim, a former national captain, to lead an 11-member ad hoc committee. The former directors of the Bulbul-led board—M. Najmul Islam, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury Zaman, Asif Akbar, and Md Hasanuzzaman—attended the meeting with the ICC representatives along with their legal counsel, Advocate Mokarramus Shaklan.
Press statement from the Bulbul-led committee
After the meeting, the Bulbul-led committee released a statement setting out its position regarding the upcoming election. It claimed that the group had urged the ICC not to recognise any election organised by, or carried out under the authority of, the ad hoc committee on June 7, or at any other time.
The committee said that no election could be treated as legitimate and autonomous while the legal standing of the ad hoc committee remains contested before the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. It also pointed to an ongoing ICC probe into alleged governmental interference. The statement further asserted that the ICC delegation was not in Bangladesh in connection with any election process being handled by the ad hoc committee, and it added that the ICC representatives were not acting as election observers.
ICC response and its stance on media reports
On Thursday, the ICC clarified its position regarding the Bangladesh visit. The ICC said the delegation, appointed by the International Cricket Council, visited Bangladesh to engage with multiple stakeholders and assess developments connected to the BCB.
In its statement, the ICC named the two board directors involved: Dr Mohammed A.S. Moosajee of Cricket South Africa and Mr Tavengwa Mukuhlani of Zimbabwe Cricket. The ICC added that it would submit its findings and observations to the ICC Board at an appropriate time and that it would not be making any media comments on the matter. It also said that any media reports, commentary, or claims about the visit were speculative and did not reflect the ICC’s viewpoint, suggesting that the assertions made by the Bulbul-led committee were conjecture.
