Faruque Ahmed Elected BCB President

Faruque Ahmed has been elected as the new president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) following a board meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday, which came after Nazmul Hassan’s resignation. Faruque holds the distinction of being the first BCB president with a background in competitive cricket, having played seven ODIs between 1988 and 1999, and captained Bangladesh in the ICC Trophy in 1994.

Faruque's appointment came after the National Sports Council (NSC) nominated him and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim as directors on the BCB board, replacing Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam. While Yunus resigned from his position on Monday, Alam chose not to step down, instead requesting the NSC to follow proper procedures for his removal.

The BCB meeting, held at the NSC office, was attended by directors Mahbubul Anam, Khaled Mahmud, Akram Khan, Salauddin Ahmed, Kazi Inam Ahmed, Iftekhar Ahmed, and Fahim Sinha. The other 16 directors, including Hassan, have been absent from Dhaka since the Awami League government fell on August 5. During the meeting, Fahim was formally inducted as the second NSC-nominated director. Additionally, one of the BCB's signatory roles was transferred from Ismail Haider Mallick to Fahim Sinha. Mallick, who was known to be Hassan’s closest ally and one of the most influential directors, was the chair of the finance committee, vice-chair of the marketing committee, and secretary of the BPL governing council. Mallick is also among the 16 board directors currently missing from Dhaka.

The board members were also informed of the decision to move the Women’s T20 World Cup venue from Bangladesh to the UAE, although the BCB remains the official host of the tournament.

BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury informed the directors that Hassan had formally resigned from his position as president. Subsequently, the present directors unanimously elected Faruque as the new president.

Faruque’s involvement with Bangladesh cricket extends beyond his playing days. He served as chief selector for two terms, from 2003 to 2007, where he played a key role in ushering in a new generation of talent, including Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal. He returned as chief selector in 2013 but resigned in 2016 after Hassan decided to expand the selection panel to include coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud.

Nazmul Hassan, who has also served as the country’s sports minister since January, was among several BCB officials with close political ties to the Awami League. He has been a member of parliament since 2009. Among the 16 board directors currently absent, Shafiul Alam is a serving Awami League MP, Naimur Rahman is a former MP, and AJM Nasir Uddin was the mayor of Chattogram. Two other board directors, Najib Ahmed and Sheikh Sohel, are cousins of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hassan first assumed the role of BCB chief in 2012 after AHM Mustafa Kamal vacated the position to become the ICC vice-president. In 2013, Hassan became the BCB's first elected president after the board amended its constitution following a Supreme Court ruling, which allowed the president to be elected by the board of directors rather than appointed by the government.