The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally begun the process for its upcoming elections, inviting nominations for councillors across all categories on Monday, May 4.
The move follows the appointment of former national captain Tamim Iqbal as interim head after the National Sports Council dissolved the Aminul Islam-led board over allegations of misuse of power. The current administration has been tasked with conducting elections within 30 days.
Election Process Underway
After the third meeting of the BCB ad-hoc committee at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, the board confirmed that it had initiated the election process and approved the formation of a three-member Election Commission.
“The Board has decided to initiate the process for the next BCB Election. As a first step, a notice will shortly be issued inviting the nomination of Councillors from all categories in accordance with Article 12.7 of the BCB Constitution,” the BCB said in a statement.
“The Board has approved the formation of a three-member Election Commission for conducting the next BCB Election. The Election Commission will comprise one representative from either the Ministry of Youth & Sports or the National Sports Council (NSC), and two members nominated by the BCB,” it added.
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Regional Committees Dissolved
As part of the restructuring, the board has also disbanded existing ad-hoc committees in several regional associations.
“The Board has decided to dissolve, with immediate effect, the previously constituted Ad-hoc Committees of the Regional Cricket Associations of Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal,” the statement confirmed.
Plans for Players’ Lounge
Following the meeting, Tamim Iqbal provided updates on redevelopment work at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, including plans to build a dedicated lounge for former and current national cricketers.
“The main reason behind all this work is that we are building a proper lounge for national cricketers. Around 170 to 180 cricketers who have represented Bangladesh will get this facility,” he said.
He outlined further plans to redesign the seating area into a balcony-style structure.
“The divider in the middle of the seating area will be removed. These seats will be renovated and turned into a balcony-style structure like you see in major stadiums around the world, where people sit, have tea and coffee, and enjoy the view,” he said.
The proposed lounge is expected to accommodate between 250 and 300 people and will be reserved exclusively for national players.
“These grills will be removed so there is no obstruction to the view. This entire block will be dedicated to national cricketers. They don’t currently have a proper space like this, so we are creating one for them,” he added.
Recognition for Former Players
Tamim also highlighted the importance of recognising contributions from past players.
“We have to be very careful about whom we honour. If a name is given and someone feels left out, it can create issues,” he said.
“We are considering different formats-home players at home venues, national players at the national stadium, and also recognising those who have contributed significantly to Bangladesh cricket,” he explained.
“I believe Bangladesh cricketers deserve this recognition. It is not about averages or statistics. Even a player with a low average may have made a massive contribution in their time. Our responsibility is to respect that properly,” he added.
Additional Facilities and Future Plans
The new setup will also include office space for the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), with access restricted through designated cards for national players.
Tamim, who previously introduced a captain’s card initiative, is expected to contest the upcoming election for the position of full-time BCB president.
