BCB suspends all activities of constitutional reform committee

The controversial constitutional reform committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has paused all of its operations in response to mounting objections from cricket clubs in Dhaka. The decision was made on Saturday, January 20, 2025, at the 17th BCB Board of Directors meeting held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

In light of the reform committee’s unsubstantiated plans to lower their representation on the BCB board, the Dhaka clubs boycotted the First Division Cricket League beginning January 14. Reports state that the committee led by BCB director Nazmul Abedin suggested cutting the number of directors nominated by clubs in Dhaka from twelve to four.

Clubs protested this, as well as intentions to reduce the number of BCB directors from 25 to 21 and dissolve the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM).

Consequently, the league was barred, endangering the livelihood of about 2,000 cricket players. The clubs’ complaint forced the board to take urgent action because delaying the league would have long-term effects on Bangladesh’s domestic cricket system.

In an interview, BCB director Mahbubul Anam explained the board’s choice, stating that the committee’s operations were halted to guarantee openness and participation from stakeholders.

“The board made the decision to pause the work of the constitution review committee. This committee may eventually be enlarged or modified. Once their terms of reference and scope of work are ready, the remaining tasks will begin. “The terms of reference will be on how they will involve stakeholders in order to make the necessary changes to the constitution,” Anam said.

We wish to halt such conversations by suspending their operations: Mahbubul Anam

Anam dismissed rumors that the group had formally presented its recommendations to the National Sports Council (NSC) or the board, stating that the assertions were unfounded. He emphasized that the process of constitutional revision had to be made clear.

“They never presented any suggested modifications to the board president or any other board member. Additionally, we have been informed that they did not make any submissions to the National Sports Council. Additionally, many of the changes discussed are incorrect. The BCB directors believe that more clarity is needed in the process. Regarding the constitution, there is no secret. The information is publicly available. We wish to halt these kinds of conversations by suspending their operations. The board believes that in order to achieve change and expansion, stakeholders must be included,” he continued.

Additionally, the BCB announced the selection of leaders for 21 of its 23 standing committees. A reported disagreement with BCB President Faruque Ahmed led to the appointment of Nazmul Abedin Fahim as the leader of both the women’s and men’s cricket operations. Faruque was appointed chair of the marketing committee in the meantime, and other well-known directors Mahbubul Anam and Akram Khan assumed important positions.

The recently appointed committee leaders have been given two weeks to assemble their teams, per the BCB’s directive. A later date will see the appointment of the leaders of the security and working committees.