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Bangladesh cricket’s long-running boardroom drama has deepened after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) failed to publish its draft voters’ list on time, raising further questions about whether the upcoming election will proceed smoothly.
The final meeting of the current BCB board of directors, scheduled for 6:30 pm on Monday, was delayed by three hours and ran until nearly midnight. Despite being billed as a short, procedural session, it ended without approving the draft list of councillors -- the voters who will decide the next board.
The failure marked an immediate breach of the official election schedule, which had set Monday evening as the deadline for finalising councillors and publishing the draft voters’ list, reports bdnews24.com.
The delay followed days of courtroom drama after the High Court suspended a letter extending the nomination deadline, only for the order to be stayed by the Appellate Division hours later.
Names of councillors were still arriving at the BCB late into the night, including that of former president Faruque Ahmed, submitted hours past the official deadline.
Board Director Iftekhar Rahman said that ongoing court petitions had prevented the board from proceeding. “Until the judiciary makes its observations, we cannot move forward. We want to be absolutely clear on the court’s position.”
BCB lawyer Mahin Rahman added that another hearing on the matter was due in the Chamber Judge's Court.
The controversy has fuelled claims of political meddling. Former national captain and councillor Tamim Iqbal accused the BCB president of extending the nomination deadline without consulting directors. He also alleged direct interference by government officials, calling the process “a selection, not an election.”
Brothers Union councillor and BNP politician Ishraque Hossain went further, warning that if “partisan interference” continues, cricket stakeholders may even “lay siege” to the BCB.
Several former officials, including ex-joint secretary Rafiqul Islam Babu and ex-director Abdullah Al Fuad Redwan, also condemned what they described as government overreach. Redwan has threatened legal action if the situation persists.
Meanwhile, Masuduzzaman, vice-chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, announced his resignation, citing a toxic environment inside the board.
ELECTION TIMELINE IN DOUBT
According to the original schedule, objections to the draft voters’ list were to be received on Tuesday. With the list still unpublished, it now falls to the election commission to decide whether the broader election timetable needs to change.
As things stand, the BCB board elections are scheduled for Oct 6, with the president and vice-presidents to be elected later that same night.