Aminul Islam Bulbul Expected to Lead BCB

Following the removal of Faruque Ahmed, former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul is poised to become the new president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

On Thursday, BCB officials verified that the National Sports Council (NSC) had granted Bulbul councillorship, which cleared the path for his appointment.

Bulbul is anticipated to be formally chosen as BCB president during a board meeting that is currently scheduled.

Sources indicate that there is widespread consensus among board members in favor of Bulbul taking on the position, making the appointment primarily a formality.

Bangladesh’s first Test centurion and former ICC development officer, Bulbul, has stated his readiness to assume the position for a brief period.

Bulbul’s Statement

“Yes, the Sports Council has presented a proposal. Before I agreed, I needed to discuss it with the ICC, where I am employed. The ICC has stated that they have no objections. I will be here temporarily, and then I might return to the ICC,” Bulbul stated.

This leadership transition follows the NSC’s decision to revoke Faruque Ahmed’s membership, which effectively brought his term as BCB president to an end. The decision was made in response to a vote of no confidence that eight of the nine BCB directors had signed earlier that day.

Despite growing pressure, Faruque initially declined to resign.

Faruque’s Initial Resistance

“I am not considering resigning at this time. No one has provided me with a valid justification for doing so,” Faruque stated.

“Why should I resign when others are staying in their positions? First, I need to understand the real reason. Second, I didn’t seek this position; I was chosen. Since I was brought here, I am entitled to know what I have done wrong and why I ought to resign,” he went on to say.

Later that evening, the Ministry of Youth and Sports formally announced the withdrawal of Faruque’s nomination as the NSC’s representative on the BCB board.

The ministry referenced the no-confidence vote and the conclusions of a fact-finding committee looking into problems with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The statement from Bangladesh’s sports ministry read, “In light of the no-confidence letter submitted by eight BCB directors against Faruque Ahmed and the report from the fact-finding committee on the BPL, his nomination as the representative of the National Sports Council (sports ministry) has been revoked.”

Faruque, one of the two directors nominated by the sports ministry, was appointed to the BCB board and elected president on August 21, 2023. His term lasted nine months and eight days.

Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Mahbubul Anam, Kazi Inam Ahmed, Fahim Sinha, Salahuddin Chowdhury, Iftikhar Rahman, Saifur Alam Swapan Chowdhury, and Manjur Alam were among the directors who signed the no-confidence motion.

Aside from Faruque himself, former national captain Akram Khan was the only director who did not sign the letter.