Dhaka, April 7 Days after the Bangladesh Cricket Board reached out to the BCCI requesting the revival of bilateral ties, former captain and current president of the BCB, Aminul Islam Bulbul, was removed by the country's National Sports Council (NSC) on Tuesday. The NSC formed an ad-hoc committee to manage day-to-day affairs until fresh elections are held.
According to sources within the BCB, Bulbul was removed primarily due to the controversy surrounding the T20 World Cup, where former interim government advisor Asif Nazrul essentially held the former captain hostage and prevented the national team from visiting India for the event.
Anti-India hardliner Nazrul aimed to shift Bangladesh's matches from Kolkata and Mumbai to Sri Lanka as a protest against the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL.
During this entire episode, Bulbul remained largely uninvolved, and over the past few days, six directors of the BCB resigned due to him.
Former Bangladesh captain and the country's greatest opener, Tamim Iqbal, has been appointed as the head of the 11-member ad-hoc committee, whose duty would be to hold the cricket board's election within the next 90 days.
However, Bulbul termed the dissolution of the elected Board of Directors and the formation of the Ad-hoc Committee as illegal. He maintained that he remains the only legitimate president of the BCB "until the High Court rules otherwise."
"The purported dissolution of the elected Board of Directors and the imposition of an Ad-hoc Committee led by Mr. Tamim Iqbal is a constitutional coup. This action is illegal, violates the BCB Constitution, and directly infringes upon the ICC's rules regarding government interference," he stated in a later statement.
"The NSC has no authority to dissolve an elected body except under extreme circumstances defined in the NSC Ordinance, none of which exist here. The Ad-hoc Committee is a sham entity. We do not recognize its authority, and we call upon the ICC to immediately investigate this matter to prevent this illegal body from functioning."
He categorically denied allegations of corruption, manipulation, or abuse of power regarding the BCB elections held on October 6, 2025.
He stated that the elections were conducted transparently by a fully legitimate, three-member Election Commission formed by the BCB on September 6, 2025, with Advocate Mohammad Hossain, a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, as Chief Election Commissioner.
"The process adhered strictly to the BCB Constitution. Objections raised, including those regarding the 15 clubs and the councillorship of Mr. Tamim Iqbal, were duly heard and resolved via quasi-judicial hearings on September 24-25, 2025."
"The narrative of 'election fixing' peddled by certain former players with political ambitions is a fabrication designed to destabilize the board. The election was held as scheduled on October 6, 2025, in line with the announcement made by me in early September."
Bulbul also stated that the probe conducted by the NSC was "maliciously motivated" and lacked jurisdiction.
"The NSC has absolutely no authority to investigate a closed and concluded electoral process of an autonomous, self-governing federation like the BCB. Under the ICC's constitution, member boards must operate free from government interference. The NSC's probe, initiated by State Minister Aminul Haque, is a politically driven vendetta, not a legal process. The report is void for lack of jurisdiction."
"I unequivocally state that the report submitted on April 5, 2026, is a defective, whimsical, and legally untenable document that holds no standing in the eyes of the law or the constitution of the BCB."
Bulbul called upon the International Cricket Council (ICC) to intervene immediately "to protect the sanctity of our elected board."
"The Ad-hoc Committee is illegal. The probe report is illegal. The legitimacy of the October 6, 2025 election conducted by a neutral, three-member commission, including a Supreme Court advocate and a senior CID officer, cannot be questioned by any government body after the fact."
According to NSC Director Aminul Ehsan, the decision to dissolve the current BCB board and form an ad-hoc committee has been communicated to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
While the ICC charter doesn't allow government or external interference in board matters, it is unlikely that the global body will ban the Bangladesh board, as a timeline to hold the elections has already been announced by the NSC.
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.
