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The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had scheduled a meeting for Saturday, but after a series of unexpected developments, it was cancelled.
Later, in a dramatic turn of events, an emergency meeting was called on Friday afternoon. The focus of the cricket community in Bangladesh is now firmly on the meeting, where the board may elect a new president.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm. At this point, it appears to be only a matter of time before former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul takes over as the new BCB president.
On Thursday night, the National Sports Council (NSC) issued a statement announcing the cancellation of Faruque Ahmed's nomination as BCB director. Although there are questions and uncertainties surrounding the clause invoked for the cancellation, it has now been confirmed that Aminul is being nominated for the directorial position in Faruque’s place.
An important procedural step was completed beforehand as well. Since Aminul needed to be a councillor to qualify. The NSC officially appointed him as one and notified the BCB.
During a virtual meeting on Thursday night, BCB directors approved the appointment. All nine current board directors attended the meeting.
The urgency in arranging the online meeting clearly signals what lies ahead. With Aminul now cleared to become a BCB director, there are no remaining barriers to his becoming the president. A new BCB chief may be officially picked during Friday afternoon’s board meeting.
According to the BCB constitution, the president is elected through a vote by the board of directors.
Speaking to bdnews24.com on Thursday, Aminul said he is ready to take on any responsibility within the BCB. However, he clarified that he would serve only until the next BCB election, which is scheduled to take place by October.
That means Aminul may hold the presidency for just about four months, after which he plans to return to his job at the International Cricket Council.
Following the cancellation of his nomination, Faruque said he would not resign and intends to consult with his lawyers before deciding on his next move. It remains to be seen whether this leads to any new legal or procedural complications.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh national cricket team is currently touring Pakistan. They are set to play the second T20 of the series on Friday. But the attention has largely shifted away from the field, as off-field developments now dominate the headlines.