'Election fixing needs to be stopped' - Tamim Iqbal withdraws from BCB elections
"A lot has been said at different times, but at the end of the day, I feel that we cannot be a part of this. I always say one thing: cricket, Bangladesh cricket does not deserve this," said Tamim.
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Tamim Iqbal is among 16 candidates who have withdrawn from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections. Following these withdrawals, the BCB Election Commission announced on Wednesday that 27 candidates will now contest for the 17 remaining director posts.
The elections are for the BCB board of directors, of which 23 members are elected by vote, while two are government representatives. These 25 directors then elect the board president. With Tamim stepping out of the race, incumbent president Aminul Islam has a clear path to continue in the role after October 6.
Six directors have already been elected unopposed due to no contest in their respective sub-categories. These include Shakhawat Hossain (Barishal), Rahat Shams (Sylhet), Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury and Asif Akbar (Chattogram), and Abdur Razzak and Julfikar Ali Khan (Khulna).
Three candidates remain in contention for each of the Dhaka, Rangpur, and Rajshahi regions, with the winners set to become board directors. There is also a contest in the third category, which includes representatives from educational institutes and former cricketers. One director will be elected between former captain Khaled Mashud and Debabrata Paul, representing Jahangirnagar University. Mashud is among ten former cricketers selected by the BCB to vote in this category.
Tamim Iqbal flags political interference in BCB elections
Tamim, who represents Old DOHS, a club among the 76 participating in Category 2 elections, submitted his withdrawal papers on Wednesday. In doing so, he reiterated allegations he had made at a September 21 press conference, claiming interference in the conduct of the elections.
"At least 14 or 15 of us have withdrawn our nominations today. The reason for this withdrawal is very clear. From the very beginning, I have been saying one thing, and you are all clear about it now--about which direction this election is going or how it is being conducted. Whatever seems right at any moment, whatever they want to do, is being done. This is not really an election. This is not an election, and this doesn't suit cricket in any way,” said Tamim as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"A lot has been said at different times, but at the end of the day, I feel that we cannot be a part of this. I always say one thing: cricket, Bangladesh cricket does not deserve this, and the cricket fans of Bangladesh do not deserve this either,” he added.
Tamim expressed frustration after the deadlines for submitting nomination papers were extended multiple times, with the BCB president personally signing one of the extension letters. Normally, such letters are issued by the BCB’s chief executive officer to the election commission.
"(Match) fixing is often talked about quite loudly, but it is the election fixing that needs to be stopped first. I think it is crystal clear to everyone who was involved, at what time, what kind of involvement they had, what kind of interference occurred, and how the rules were changed at will for convenience. I will end my speech by saying that this election has become a black mark for the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” he concluded.
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