BCB in Huge Trouble As Faruque Ahmed Sacked as Board President

Former Bangladesh cricketer Faruque Ahmed has been removed from his role as the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The Ministry of Youth and Sports in Bangladesh has decided to sack him as the representative on the BCB board of directors. The decision was taken after eight BCB directors signed a no-confidence letter against him.

Faruque took over the role last year after former BCB president Nazmul Hassan was forced to resign. At that point, Bangladesh was going through a political upheaval. A no. of BCB members had to give up their role at that point, along Nazmul Hassan and Faruque Ahmed became the first international cricketer from Bangladesh to take up this role.

Why was Faruque Ahmed Sacked?

Faruque was one of two BCB directors nominated by the sports ministry. He became a director and BCB president on August 21 last year. His term lasted nine months and eight days. Bangladesh's ministry released a statement on Thursday evening. It stated that Faruque’s nomination as the sports ministry’s representative in the BCB board had been cancelled.
“In light of the no-confidence letter sent by eight BCB directors against Faruque Ahmed, and the report presented by the fact-finding committee about the BPL, his nomination as the representative of the National Sports Council (sports ministry) has been cancelled,” the BCB stated.
Apart from Faruque himself, former Bangladesh cricketer Akram Khan is the only other one who didn't sign the letter. The eight BCB directors who signed the no-confidence letter are:
• Nazmul Abedeen Fahim
• Mahbubul Anam
• Kazi Inam Ahmed
• Fahim Sinha
• Salahuddin Chowdhury
• Iftikhar Rahman
• Saifur Alam Swapan Chowdhury
• Manjur Alam
The directors accused Faruque of acting like a dictator and even claimed that he violated the BCB constitution. One major issue was about the head coach. In October, Faruque removed coach Chandika Hathurusingha without asking the board for approval. Clause 14-B of the BCB constitution says that the board must approve the hiring or sacking of coaches.

Directors Accuse Faruque Ahmed

The directors accused Faruque of ignoring this rule. They also claimed that Faruque approved two BPL teams without proper checking. These teams were Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings for the 2024–25 season. Both these teams were later accused of not giving the players' salaries on time during the BPL. All these reasons ultimately resulted in Faruque Ahmed sacked from his role.

In their letter, the directors wrote, “Capable professionals have been overlooked while loyalty and personal allegiance have been rewarded. He is neither working for the development of Bangladesh cricket nor respecting the spirit of democratic governance.”
One board director told ESPNcricinfo that Faruque ignored the other directors. He delayed the formation of new sub-committees. The director also said Faruque seemed more focused on the upcoming BCB elections.

Faruque Ahmed Reacts To His Sacking

Faruque also denied the claims in the letter. He said the directors who signed it were guilty of the same things they accused him of and warned them of legal action. He believes that the no-confidence letter does not follow the BCB rules.
“I will speak to my lawyer about the letter. I might take legal action. There is no mention of no-confidence motion in the BCB constitution, so I don’t think it matters. I have seen the letter. They have accused me of wrongdoings that they have done themselves. I laughed out loud seeing the letter,” Faruque told Bengali newspaper Kaler Kantho.
The BCB will now elect a new president, but it is not yet clear who will replace Faruque. The cricket board is also preparing for its next elections later this year. This controversy has come at a time when Bangladesh cricket is trying to grow. Many fans are hoping that the BCB will now focus on improving the team and solving internal problems, which have cost the national team.