Bangladesh government appoints Tamim Iqbal as new BCB president

The Bangladesh government has appointed former captain Tamim Iqbal as the new Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president after it dissolved the BCB board of directors that was led by Aminul Islam.

The decision came following the recommendations of a five-member investigation committee that looked into various allegations against the BCB’s elections held in October last year.

Tamim, 37, is the youngest BCB president and will lead an 11-member ad hoc committee that includes former Bangladesh captain Minhajul Abedin and former cricketer and TV commentator Athar Ali Khan.

The other members of the committee are Rashna Imam, Mirza Yeasir Abbas, Syed Ibrahim Ahmed, Israfil Khasru, Tanjil Chowdhury, Salman Ispahani, Rafiqul Islam and Fahim Sinha.

When asked if he would participate in the BCB elections, which must be held within the next three months, Tamim said: “Of course, I will participate in the elections. When there is a free and fair election, I will request everyone who is interested to participate. The board’s cricketers, organisers, everyone should participate. We have to create that atmosphere where everyone can come and hold elections.

“We have been given a responsibility today. Whoever gets this job, talks about development. My team feels that we have to correct Bangladesh’s reputation. We have to fix the damaged reputation of the last year and a half. It is our most important job right now.”

The government’s investigation committee made its recommendations during a press briefing at the sports ministry, where they spoke in detail about their findings after looking into the elections.

The National Sports Council’s sports director Mohammed Aminul Ahesan said they had to dissolve the BCB’s elected body due to evidence of “irregularities in the election process”. He also said they have informed the ICC about the appointment of an ad-hoc body that will run the board for the next three months.

“The NSC reviewed the report of the investigation committee, following which it has come to the conclusion that there were significant weaknesses and irregularities in the election process for the formation of the current BCB board of directors,” Ahesan said.

“In that context, the NSC has already emailed the ICC about the decision to dissolve this committee. At the same time, the formation of an 11-member ad hoc committee has also been announced. The ad hoc committee will be obliged to present an elected committee within the next three months. At the same time, it will be empowered like an elected committee to manage the normal activities of cricket for the same period.”

Ahesan said the sports ministry was within the laws to dissolve the BCB’s board of directors. He cited Section 21 of the NSC Act 2018 in which the government has the power to appoint an ad hoc committee to dissolve an executive committee if there are necessary grounds for such a decision.

Aminul Islam had said on Sunday that he was determined to stay on as BCB president despite the turmoil in the board and that the committee investigating allegations of malpractice and abuse of power in the elections last year had submitted its report to the Bangladesh government.

The BCB was under increasing pressure from the sports ministry, which had questioned the validity of the last board election, Bangladesh’s absence from the recent men’s T20 World Cup, and allegations of political interference and favouritism within the BCB.

Four directors of the board had also resigned last week, taking the total number since January this year up to six.

Tamim is one of the greatest cricketers to have played for Bangladesh, having appeared in 391 internationals across three formats. He led Bangladesh to 21 wins in 38 matches across formats, including the 2-1 ODI series against South Africa in 2022.

After his international retirement in early 2025, Tamim continued to play domestic tournaments but a heart attack during a Dhaka Premier League match that year put an abrupt end to his playing career. He became councilor of a Dhaka-based cricket club, before announcing himself as a BCB director candidate in the 2025 elections.

Tamim, however, withdrew from the polls after making allegations of abuse of power against Aminul in the electoral process. (ESPNcricinfo)