Gazi Tank owner and BCB directorship candidate Lutfor Rahman Badal said on Tuesday that high-level corruption, coupled with external pressure influencing the race, prompted him to withdraw from the forthcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board election.
‘The concerned authorities initially refused to accept my form, which had my signature,’ Badal told reporters, citing the incident as an example of the pressure that was put on the election commission by incumbent BCB president Nazmul Hasan’s supporters.
‘Later it became known that it also happened with many others, and they accepted my form only after several requests.’
‘I have decided to pull out from the election race because I don’t want to be a part of them.’
‘My supporters were threatened. I was also warned indirectly,’ the high-profile businessman added.
Badal, one of the two councilliors from Gazi Tank, had earlier submitted nomination papers and entered the race to become one of the BCB’s 12 category-2 (Dhaka Metropolitan Clubs) directors.
However, Badal decided to quit the race on October 7 – the last day to withdraw nomination papers – handing Nazmul ’s panel an unopposed victory.
Badal added that it was for the very same reason that former BCB president Saber Hossain Chowdhury, who was considered to be Nazmul’s biggest threat in the race for the presidency, also withdrew from the election.
‘Till now, 70 councillors from about a total of 172 have decided to pull out their names from the election race. This is a bad precedent for the advertisement of our cricket,’ said Badal.
Badal also accused Nazmul of manipulating umpires during the ongoing Dhaka Premier League to benefit his own club, Abahani Limited.
‘I can openly say that the [Bangladesh Cricket] board president [Nazmul Hasan] is involved with umpire manipulation,’ Badal claimed, referring to the last match between Gazi and Abahani on Monday.
Though Gazi won the match, six LBW decisions went against them, which Badal said was a clear indication of foul play.
‘I think this is the first instance that an umpire has been employed in a league game through the board. This has never happened before,’ he said.
-With New Age input
