Minhajul set to become BCB director unopposed from Chattogram

Former national skipper Minhajul Abedin is set to become a director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) from Category 1 in the upcoming election after the Election Commission announced the final list of candidates following the withdrawal phase on Monday.

Minhajul, who represented Bangladesh during his playing career, joined the BCB after retirement and has served in several capacities. He spent more than a decade on the selection panel, initially as a selector before taking over as chief selector. He is also a member of the current ad-hoc committee.

The final list confirmed that Minhajul became one of the two candidates from the Chattogram division in Category 1 after Shariful Islam withdrew his nomination. With two director posts allocated for the division and only two candidates remaining – Minhajul and Moin Uddin Chowdhury – both are set to become directors unopposed.

"It's a great privilege to join BCB as a director but along with that my responsibility increased a lot. After retirement I joined the board and worked in different capacities and now will try to share those experiences in the board room," Minhajul told Cricbuzz on Monday. "Since I am from Chattogram, I will try to revive Chattogram's cricket. Regional cricket first started in Chattogram and we will try to revive regional cricket again."

The final candidates' list also confirmed that contests will take place only in the Khulna and Barishal divisions under Category 1, alongside the Dhaka club category, in the BCB election scheduled for June 7.

Khulna division will see Shafiqul Alam, Shantanu Islam and Mohammad Abdus Salam contest for two seats, while Barishal division has a two-way race between Muntasir Alam Chowdhury and Mizanur Rahman for one position.

Candidates from the Dhaka, Sylhet, Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions were elected unopposed, along with Sirajuddin Mohammad Alamgir, who was the lone candidate from Category 3. Syed Bin Osman and S M Abdullah Al Fuad will represent Dhaka division, while Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury will represent Sylhet. Mirza Masud Amin will represent Rangpur, and Mir Shakrul Alam Simanto will represent Rajshahi.

Two candidates withdrew from the club category – Lutfur Rahman of Legends of Rupganj and Mahmudur Rahman of Old Dhaka Cricketers. As a result, 16 candidates now remain in contention for the 12 director posts in Category 2.

The remaining candidates are Fahim Sinha (Abahani Limited), Masuduzzaman (Mohammedan Sporting Club Ltd), Asif Rabbani (Shinepukur Cricket Club), Fayzur Rahman (Uttara Cricket Club), Yasir Mohammad Faisal Ashik (Dhanmondi Sports Club-Bashundhara Riders), Tamim Iqbal (Old DOHS Sports Club), Amzad Hossain (Tristate Cricketers-Dhaka Sports Cricket Club), Mirza Yasir Abbas (Azad Sporting Club), Israfil Khusro (Axiom Cricketers), Rafiqul Islam Babu (Indira Road Krira Chakra), Sarkar Mahbub Ahmed Shahin (Dhaka Wanderers Club), Shanian Taneem Navin (Dhaka Mariners Youngs Club), Borhanul Islam (Tejgaon Cricket Academy), Shafiq Ahmed Salam (Purbachal Sporting Club) and Imrose Ahmed (Kathalbagan Green Crescent).

The 25-member board consists of 12 directors elected by Dhaka club councillors (Category 2), 10 directors elected by regional and district councillors (Category 1), one director representing organisations such as public universities and former cricketers (Category 3), and two directors nominated by the National Sports Council. The elected directors will later choose the next BCB president.