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Ousted Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam has categorically rejected the government’s decision to dissolve his elected committee, branding the move a "constitutional coup" and urgently appealing to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to intervene against “state interference”.
In a strongly worded statement released hours after the National Sports Council (NSC) ousted his administration on Tuesday, Aminul denied all allegations of corruption and vote-rigging during the October 2025 board elections.
He dismissed the government’s investigation probe as legally void, politically driven vendetta initiated by State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque.
The NSC dissolved the board earlier in the day, citing an investigation that uncovered widespread electoral fraud, coerced electronic voting, and illegal interference orchestrated by former Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain under the previous interim administration.
It also appointed former national captain Tamim Iqbal to lead an 11-member ad-hoc committee mandated to manage daily operations and hold a fresh election within three months.
Refusing to recognise the ad-hoc body, Aminul defended the integrity of the October polls. He stated that the election was transparently managed by a legitimate three-member commission, which included a Supreme Court lawyer and the chief of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
He asserted that all electoral objections, including those regarding specific clubs and Tamim’s councillorship, were resolved through quasi-judicial hearings.
Aminul accused former players with political ambitions of fabricating the election-fixing narrative to destabilise the board.
"The National Sports Council has absolutely no authority to investigate a closed, concluded electoral process of an autonomous, self-governing federation like the BCB," he said, arguing that the dissolution violates the NSC's own ordinances.
He warned that the government's actions create a "black hole of governance" that threatens the future of player development, sponsorships, and international investment in Bangladesh cricket.
Aminul maintained that he remains the sole legitimate BCB president until the High Court dictates otherwise.
The standoff sets the stage for a potential clash with the sport's global governing body. While NSC officials previously expressed confidence that the ICC would endorse the ad-hoc committee, the abrupt dissolution risks triggering the council's strict regulations against government interference, which can result in a national federation's suspension.
The bureaucratic maneuver also unfolds against a delicate geopolitical backdrop. The ICC is currently chaired by Jay Shah, a powerful figure in Indian sports administration. Concurrently, the Prof Muhammad Yunus-led interim government – under which the 2025 BCB elections occurred – had maintained a highly critical stance toward New Delhi for sheltering ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following the 2024 mass uprising.
Aminul’s direct appeal to the ICC ensures the global body will be forced to evaluate the legality of the NSC's intervention amidst these intersecting political tensions.