BCB's newly elected president presents decentralisation plans

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set to make a new beginning with its newly appointed president, Aminul Islam Bulbul. Within just a day of taking up the duties, the former national captain revealed a roadmap directed at decentralising cricket operations and re-establishing the credibility of the board after a period affected by mismanagement.

Aminul’s appointment comes after a turbulent phase in Bangladesh cricket. The previous BCB president, Faruque Ahmed, was removed after allegations of administrative irregularities and financial mismanagement during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). A fact-finding committee revealed widespread issues, including unpaid player salaries and reliance on government intervention to settle dues. The crisis culminated in eight out of nine National Sports Council-nominated BCB directors passing a no-confidence motion against Ahmed. 

"This is the first time I saw a board president give a presentation. It was based on his experience (working in the ICC). We have kicked off four programmes. They are called - Protect the spirit of the game, High performance for everyone, Connect and grow, Transparency and good governance in all areas. The president has said that transparency must take the highest priority in the BCB.

"Decentralization will kick off immediately. We will have offices in Rajshahi and Chattogram. Those will be pilot projects. It will be like mini BCBs. We are activating the existing plan. We have been hearing about regional cricket since 2000," BCB director Iftekhar Rahman Mithu told reporters following the meeting.

BCB's newly elected president presents decentralisation plans: Iftekhar Rahman Mithu

Aminul Islam introduced his vision during a four-hour board meeting, where he delivered a visual presentation to BCB directors. His approach is set to prioritize two important aspects, decentralisation and financial transparency. The BCB is launching two pilot projects, named mini BCBs, to be based in Rajshahi (North Bengal) and Chattogram (South). These hubs will act as regional cricket centres to ensure the grassroots development of players, coaches, umpires, and curators through structured talent development programmes.

"We are immediately launching these two pilot projects. One will be based in Rajshahi (North Bengal) and the other in the South and it's been a long-standing dream to decentralize our operations-development of coaches, umpires, curators will now take place through structured programs beginning with a talent hunt," he added.

The southern zone will be overseen by Saiful Alam Swapon Chowdhury, while Salahuddin Chowdhury will manage the northern operations. Besides decentralisation, the board is also set to franchise accountability. BPL teams have been instructed to disclose pending player payments, and the BCB will only release funds after cross-verification with players.