Independent probe committee recommends ‘free and fair elections’

Independent probe committee recommends 'free and fair elections'

Retired Supreme Court judge AKM Asaduzzaman, chairman of the five-member independent probe committee formed by the National Sports Council to investigate allegations of irregularities in the Bangladesh Cricket Board's 2025 election, said on Sunday they have recommended a constitutional amendment to ensure free and fair elections for the board.

The NSC formed the committee after Tamim Iqbal led a request for an investigation into last year's BCB elections, claiming 50 out of 76 clubs in the capital supported the call. The NSC later stated it would decide on BCB's future based on the committee's report.

"We have completed our probe and submitted the report today," Asaduzzaman told reporters at the NSC premises. "We tried to maintain absolute neutrality. We questioned everyone involved and compiled a concise, fair report based on our findings, without baseless accusations. We reported our observations on the election process."

He emphasized, "We are not a judicial court. We weren't there to press charges. We conducted an inquiry to see if legal procedures were followed correctly. We reported on the system—what happened and what didn't."

"We have provided guidelines on how to ensure future elections are free from irregularities and how the board's operations can be improved," he added, confirming a constitutional amendment is part of the recommendations.

Asaduzzaman noted that former sports advisor Shojib Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, alleged to be the mastermind of the BCB election mechanism, did not appear before the committee despite being requested. "We reached out to hear his side, not as an accused party, but he did not appear."

The investigation committee, formed on March 11, is headed by Asaduzzaman. Other members include Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md Selim Fakir, Joint Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mohammad Nasirul Islam, sports journalist ATM Sayeed Uzzaman, and Supreme Court advocate Barrister Saleh Akram Samrat.

It is understood that the BCB is expected to have an 11-member ad-hoc body soon, as the Aminul Islam-led board is set to be dissolved, with another former skipper likely to lead the interim board.