Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Najmul Islam is being relieved of all responsibilities of the board, including his position as head of the finance committee, amid widespread demands from cricketers.
Sources said that the BCB made this decision today, Thursday in an emergency meeting held online.
An official announcement in this regard is expected shortly.
However, unless Najmul resigns on his own, the BCB cannot remove him from the post of board director. According to the BCB constitution, a director’s position becomes vacant only in the event of death, loss of mental stability, disciplinary punishment, financial bankruptcy, absence from three consecutive board meetings, or voluntary resignation. The first five conditions do not apply in Najmul’s case. If he resigns voluntarily, however, the issue could be resolved.
It is to mention that although the BCB constitution includes a code of conduct for cricketers, there is no such code for directors—unlike in other cricket boards around the world. As a result, even if directors act outside disciplinary norms, direct action cannot be taken against them.
At present, BCB director Najmul holds no responsibilities other than that of head of the finance committee. Multiple BCB sources have confirmed to Prothom Alo that the emergency meeting decided to remove him from the post of finance committee chief. A decision has also been taken to keep him away from all other kinds of activities. Najmul became a board director for the first time through the Talent Hunt Cricket Academy.
The controversy surrounding Najmul began yesterday after he made some discourteous remarks about cricketers. Earlier, he had also sparked controversy by calling Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” in a Facebook post.
Late last night, Mohammad Mithun, president of the cricketers’ association Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), said at a press conference that if Najmul does not resign from the post of BCB director, the cricketers will not play any matches. Accordingly, the first match of today’s BPL at Mirpur did not take place. There is also uncertainty over the second match.
However, at a CWAB press conference held this afternoon at the Sheraton Hotel in Banani, the cricketers said that if the board accepts their demands by the afternoon, they will take the field in the evening.
Speaking alongside national team cricketers, CWAB president Mithun said, “We will go to the field on one condition only—if the BCB commits that within 48 hours this person will no longer be in the BCB. If he remains, the responsibility for stopping the game will not lie with the cricketers. If the BCB makes an official declaration…”
Soon after, the news came that Najmul had been removed from the post of head of the finance committee. Facing the cricketers’ demands, the board has taken the strongest possible decision. The ball is now in the cricketers’ court. Will the evening match between Rajshahi Warriors and Sylhet Titans take place?