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Former cricketer Debabrata Pal, a losing candidate in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections, has alleged widespread government interference and manipulation in the voting process.
Struggling to hold back tears, Debabrata, who secured just seven votes in the race for director in Category-3, said: “It feels like I didn’t even get the vote that I cast for myself. The election was completely manipulated.”
After the results were announced, he vented his frustration, accusing the government of exerting heavy influence over the polls, which saw former national captain Khaled Mashud elected as director with 35 votes. Mashud had been nominated by the BCB under the former cricketers’ quota, while Debabrata represented Jahangirnagar University, bdnews24.com reports.
Despite acknowledging before the election that he did not expect to win, given the political realities, the outcome still left him shocked.
“I had said from the beginning that no matter what happens, I’ll see this through to the end. I’ve said it over and over again: what happened in Category 1 and 2 can never be considered acceptable. The election isn't decided by the ballot papers you see on voting day.”
“For almost two months, I prepared extensively for this election. I knew the likely outcome, but I never imagined that things would sink so low. As a sports organiser and a former cricketer, I never thought I’d witness this. Today’s result is entirely influenced. Out of the 25 director posts, around 23 or 24 have gone to one panel closely aligned with the current government.”
On the deadline for pulling out of the election, 16 candidates, including former captain Tamim Iqbal, withdrew, citing government interference and widespread irregularities. Five more dropped in the two days leading up to the vote.
Debabrata, who has long served as a BCB match referee, explained why he chose to remain in the race despite knowing the odds.
“I’ve been involved with cricket for a long time as an organiser, [and] as a councillor. I’ve been part of this election process for years. Many may ask, ‘Then why did you stay until the end? Why didn’t you withdraw earlier?’ I spoke several times with the BCB president, repeatedly urging him to ensure a fair and neutral election.”
“If you look at the councillors, many of them are BCB-contracted employees. Even then, I said nothing, because I wanted to see it through. I said I would stay until the end and I did. Even after the results, I signed the official result sheets. I never deviated from the process. I just wanted to see how low they could go.”
'BEYOND FIXING'
Bangladesh legend Tamim had alleged “election fixing” as he withdrew his candidacy. But Debabrata believes what happened went even beyond that.
“One of our cricketers talked about fixing -- the election being fixed. I want to state firmly: this election was not just fixed -- something much deeper was at play. It urgently needs investigation.”
Debabrata hinted at the involvement of the sports advisor behind the scenes in manipulating the outcome.
“We understand many things, and so do you. The top figure in sports was directly involved in this election process. He’s been holding meetings and issuing statements. So you can judge for yourselves where the Bangladesh Cricket Board stands now and where it’s headed.”