The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday removed M Nazmul Islam from his position as chairman of the Finance Committee, bowing to mounting pressure from cricketers after an ultimatum and a boycott of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed the decision in an official press release issued on Thursday afternoon.
The board said that, after reviewing recent developments and considering the organisation’s best interests, BCB President Aminul Islam decided to immediately relieve Nazmul Islam of his duties as chairman of the Finance Committee.
President Aminul Islam to act as interim head
According to the press release, Aminul Islam will serve as the acting chairman of the Finance Committee until further instructions are issued.
The BCB said the move was taken under the authority granted to the president under Article 31 of the BCB constitution, with the aim of ensuring the board’s work continues smoothly and effectively.
Cricketers issued ultimatum, boycotted BPL match
The controversy escalated on Wednesday night when the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) issued an ultimatum demanding Nazmul Islam’s resignation over his controversial public remarks about cricketers.
CWAB set a deadline for Thursday afternoon and warned of a boycott if their demand was not met. When Nazmul did not resign, cricketers went ahead with the boycott of a Bangladesh Premier League match scheduled to begin at 1pm.
Also Read: BCB issues show-cause notice to director as player boycott
Later in the afternoon, cricketers held another press conference, maintaining their firm demand for Nazmul Islam’s resignation.
They also called on the BCB to issue an official announcement within 48 hours, signalling that the protest could continue if their concerns were not addressed.
BCB stresses priority of players’ interests
In its statement, the BCB emphasized that “the interests of the cricketers are the highest priority.”
The board expressed hope that, despite the situation, players would demonstrate professionalism and commitment in the interest of Bangladesh cricket’s development and would make every effort to continue participating in the BPL.
Earlier, Bangladesh cricket was thrown into uncertainty after the Bangladesh Cricket Board issued a show-cause notice to Nazmul Islam over objectionable public comments, even as players announced a nationwide boycott of cricket activities. The Board cited his “objectionable comments” made publicly against Bangladesh’s cricketers.
The notice was issued just hours before the scheduled start of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches for the day, intensifying tensions between players and the board.
