The Bangladesh District and Divisional Sports Organiser’s Council, popularly known as “the Forum”, strongly criticized the government’s influence and interference in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election process and warned they would make stronger protests if their objections were not heeded.
In a press conference at the Dhaka District and Divisional Sport Association office yesterday, forum leaders slammed the government’s role in violating the democratic atmosphere and expressed surprise that the entire BCB election procedure would take only 13 days.
Ashikur Rahman Miku, secretary general of the forum, said the letter asking for the councillorship provided only eight days for confirming the name and of those, two days were holidays and another two were lost due to strikes. According the constitution, the letter should have been given 45 days’ notice for nominating councilors. “We want a fair election, not a biased and faulty one.
“The country has never seen any sports federation election wrapped up in 13 days. At least 21 days were provided. The BCB elections in 1998, 2000 and 2004 lasted for 28 days. It is ridiculous to see the election of the BCB, the biggest sports federation in the country, will take 13 days - to be specific, in 10 days,” said Miku.
Miku also pointed out that the draft voters list published yesterday on a holiday. As per the election schedule, the hearing of any objection to the voters list will take place on Sunday, September 29. “It is totally ridiculous. For example, if any objection is put against any voter, how will the election commission inform him and how will the person face the hearing as all the procedures will be wrapped up within a working day? Is it possible for any person to come to the capital to face the election commission in one day if he lives outside Dhaka?” queried Miku.
The leaders revealed that the nominated councilors from Narail, Jamalpur, Chittagong Division, Khulna Division, Rajshahi Division, Barisal Division, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Khulna, Sylhet Division and Sylhet, Sunamganj and Meherpur were selected through an unfair procedure. In Narail Ashikur Rahman Miku, in Jamalpur Abdullah al Fuad Redwan, in Rajshahi Division Mahmud Jamal, in Khulna division Mortaza Rashidi Dara, in Khulna Shamim Ahsan were selected by the relevant sports associations but instead of sending these names, Ashrafuzzaman Pintu, Shipon, Imtiaz Ahmed Kislu, advocate Saiful Islam’s were named as the councilors Narail, Jamalpur, Rajshahi and Khulna. Sheikh Sohel’s name has been sent from the Khulna Division where Dara was selected by the divisional sports association.
It was also revealed that Akram Khan, Naimur Rahman Durjoy, Monjur Kader were nominated as councilors though they were not affiliated members of Chittagong Division, Manikganj and Munshiganj district sports associations respectively. Alamgir Khan Alo’s nomination from Barisal division is also not legal as the committee expired a long time ago. Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel’s nomination from Sylhet, Rezwanul Haque Raza’s councillorship from Sunamganj were also illegal, the form claimed.
Yusuf Jamil Babu, the president of the forum, said the president of the district and divisional sports association is the legal authority to nominate councilors but in many places, the decision was made by other parties. “We will officially lodge the complaints to the election commission on Sunday and will decide what further action we can take at the end of the day,” he said.