Tamim Iqbal has officially withdrawn from the BCB election, citing government interference. Around 11 candidates, including several heavyweight contenders, have also pulled out in protest. Tamim slammed the process, calling it “a black stain on Bangladesh cricket.” The final candidate list will be released today.
Rumours had been circulating for days, and on Wednesday they turned out to be true—Tamim Iqbal has officially withdrawn from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election.
His move was quickly followed by several heavyweight candidates, all alleging government interference in the process.
Speaking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur after submitting his withdrawal, Tamim declared:
“Before you talk about fixing in Bangladesh cricket, first stop fixing the election.”
The former Bangladesh captain added, “Around 14 or 15 of us have pulled out. The reason is very clear; I don’t think it needs any further explanation. It’s obvious where this election is heading—decisions are being made arbitrarily, whenever it suits. This is no real election, and it certainly does not befit cricket. Bangladesh cricket doesn’t deserve this.”
Among those who withdrew alongside Tamim are Sayeed Ibrahim (son of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed), Israfil Khasru (son of BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury), and Mirza Yasir Abbas (son of BNP leader Mirza Abbas).
Tamim stressed that the withdrawals were a deliberate protest:
“Those who stepped aside are all heavyweights with solid vote banks. At the end of the day, we cannot be part of this filth. Bangladesh cricket does not deserve it. If some want to stage such an election, they may, but today cricket has lost—100 percent. There’s no doubt about it. You speak loudly about ending fixing in cricket; first fix the election itself. This election will remain a black stain on Bangladesh cricket.”
Rafiqul Islam, who had been running for a director’s post from Indira Road Club, echoed Tamim’s frustration. Asked about why the much-talked-about “compromise” with the government never materialised, he said:
“We wanted a competitive election, like the one we had in 2005. That was our goal this time as well. The so-called compromise was nothing but speculation—there was no factual basis to it.”
So far, at least 11 candidates have withdrawn. From Category 1, Mir Helal has stepped aside. From Category 3, Siraj Uddin Alamgir has withdrawn. From Category 2, the list of withdrawals includes Tamim Iqbal, Sayeed Ibrahim, Israfil Khasru, Rafiqul Islam Babu, Borhanul Pappu, Masuduzzaman, Asif Rabbani, Mirza Yasir Abbas, and Sabbir Ahmed Rubel.
The election commission is scheduled to release the final list of candidates at 2:00 pm today.