NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh government has appointed former batter Tamim Iqbal as the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and has dissolved the existing board of directors that ran the country’s cricket administration. The move follows the removal of the BCB’s current president, Aminul Islam Bulbul, by the National Sports Council (NSC), which has put an ad-hoc structure in place to manage day-to-day operations until a fresh election is held.
Key takeaways
- Tamim Iqbal has been named president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) by the government.
- The NSC removed Aminul Islam Bulbul and set up an ad-hoc committee to run BCB affairs temporarily.
- A new BCB election is scheduled to take place within the next 90 days.
- The NSC has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about dissolving the current board and forming the interim committee.
- The ad-hoc panel is led by Tamim Iqbal and includes former captain Minhajul Abedin and former cricketer/TV commentator Athar Ali Khan.
Bulbul removed; interim arrangements put in place
Aminul Islam Bulbul, who was serving as BCB president, was taken out of the role by the National Sports Council. The NSC also established an ad-hoc committee to handle routine board functions while the process for electing a new leadership team is carried out.
The change comes in the backdrop of earlier attempts by the BCB to restart bilateral relations, with the board reaching out to the BCCI in recent days. In the latest development, Tamim Iqbal—aged 37—has been positioned as the youngest person to lead the BCB.
Reasons cited and the timeline for elections
Reports have pointed to the T20 World Cup as a key trigger for Bulbul’s removal. The explanation given is that an episode during the tournament involved erstwhile interim government adviser Asif Nazrul, who did not permit the Bangladesh national team to travel to India for the event.
Nazrul’s approach was linked to a protest stance connected to the decision to remove Mustafizur Rahaman from the IPL. The plan, as described, was to shift Bangladesh’s matches from Kolkata and Mumbai to Sri Lanka as a way to register that protest. During the controversy, Bulbul was portrayed as having played a limited role, and the situation reportedly escalated quickly—six directors of the BCB resigned over the following days.
Tamim Iqbal has now been tasked with heading an 11-member ad-hoc committee. The committee’s mandate includes conducting the BCB election within 90 days, meaning the new vote is expected within the next three months.
ICC notified; committee membership confirmed
NSC Director Aminul Ehsan said the decision to dissolve the current BCB board and move to an ad-hoc setup was communicated to the ICC. While the ICC charter does not permit government or outside interference in board matters, it is considered unlikely that the ICC will impose a ban on Bangladesh at this stage because the NSC has already announced a timeline for the elections.
The 11-member ad-hoc committee comprises Tamim Iqbal (president), Athar Ali Khan, Rashna Imam, Mirza Yasir Abbas, Syed Ibrahim Ahmed, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Ishrafil Khusroo, Tanzim Choudhury, Salman Ispahani, Rafiqul Islam, and Fahim Sinha.
