Bangladesh is in danger of losing its International Cricket Council membership as the Bangladesh Cricket Board failed to hold the election due to legal complications,
BCB president Nazmul Hassan felt.
Nazmul is set to face some unsavoury questions at the ICC annual general meeting, scheduled at Lords’ from June 25-29, which is expected to discuss the governance issue of the member boards.
All ICC member countries in 2011 agreed to have a constitution in line with ICC guideline and replace the traditional committee with an elected body free of government influence before the 2013 AGM.
The BCB amended its 2008 constitution accordingly but failed to get it approved by the National Sports Council. The NSC controversially added some clauses and sent it back to the BCB, which is now known as the 2012 constitution.
The controversial 2012 constitution was inevitably challenged in court, which has yet to give any verdict. Nazmul, who is now heading a 13-member ad hoc committee, said as the matter is now subject of a trial they cannot hold any election.
‘We need a constitution to run the election, and I have two at the moment – from 2008 and 2012,’ Nazmul told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.
‘The latter constitution was sent to the BCB ad hoc committee by the National Sports Council. But since this 2012 draft is with the court, our election is being delayed,’ he said.
‘If we hold the election based on the 2008 book, we have to do another based on the ICC guidelines after 10-15 days. If we don’t do the election according to the ICC’s guidelines, Bangladesh stands to lose its ICC membership,’ he said.
Nazmul said that they are already trying to get legal advice to know what they are supposed to do at this point in time.
‘Unless the High Court decides on the constitution, we don’t have much to do. We are seeking legal opinion, because the ICC has set a timeframe and bindings,’ said Nazmul.
Nazmul shifted the entire blame on the previous committee, which his ad hoc committee replaced in November 27, with a mandate to hold the election within three months.
‘The previous board was supposed to take approval of the constitution from the NSC. But they didn’t,’ said Nazmul.
It may be mentioned that a BCB AGM had approved the amendments to its 2008 constitution on March 1, 2012. However, the NSC approved it only on October 21, 2012.
The NSC brought some dramatic changes in the constitution on November 29, two days after Nazmul was appointed as the head of ad hoc committee, exposing it to the legal challenge. The BCB president, first appointed on October 18, was not ready to recall his role in the entire matter.
-With New Age input
