The Bangladesh Cricket Board councilors have unanimously agreed with the draft of the new constitution at their Extraordinary General Meeting that took place soon after their Annual General Body meeting on Sunday. The meeting happened in the presence of 135 out of 170 councilors from all the Dhaka clubs and divisional and district associations.
The draft will need approval from the National Sports Council (NSC), which by court’s ruling cannot amend the BCB’s constitution, only after which can the BCB hold elections.
The BCB has heeded the court’s directive by reducing the NSC’s influence on the board in the changes they’ve made to the draft of the constitution, last amended in 2012. Among the changes are reducing the number of NSC-quota directors from three to two.
Previously, Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president, Ismail Haider Mallick and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam became directors through the NSC quota. The board has also included one former national cricketer as a councilor.
Hassan said the BCB abided by the court order, despite the ICC sending its own guidelines to hold elections. He was, however, not sure of how the board would run after the current term ends on October 13.
“Our constitution doesn’t have a guideline telling us whether our committee should continue or form an ad-hoc committee,” Hassan said. “The NSC can form a new ad-hoc committee or give us an extension. While we won’t take major decisions during the interim period, we will run the day-to-day affairs and help the election commission. We have to discuss it in the board meeting, talk to the NSC and take legal advice. We will do what the rules tell us.”
Hassan also said starting regional cricket associations, which have only been promised in the past, would be their first order of business if they win the election. Currently, the BCB is exclusively run from their headquarters in Dhaka with the country’s seven divisions and 64 districts only ensuring participation in various tournaments throughout the year.
“We have said that our first priority is to make regional cricket associations,” he said. “It will make our work more focused. It will improve our cricket. We have kept it the same so that nobody can find any gaps with the 2012 constitution. I am guaranteeing that if we win in the election, we will do this first.”
Meanwhile, the Dhaka high court last week issued a ruling seeking explanation from the BCB as to why the functions of the current board of directors should not be declared illegal after a petition was filed by former BCB director Mobassher Hossain.
The court however allowed the BCB to hold its AGM and EGM as per its original schedule on October 2. The BCB has said that once it receives the court papers, it will proceed with its explanation which it must submit within four weeks.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo