File image of Bangladesh cricket team.© AFP
Officials in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have claimed that board president Nazmul Hassan Papon has offered to quit his post, in a bid to co-operate with the Muhammad Yunus-led government to bring reforms. Nazmul is currently serving his fourth term as BCB President, and has been hiding in London ever since the unrest in the country began, which eventually led to the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, a couple of BCB directors currently staying in Dhaka met on August 14 to discuss their next course of action. Moreover, in the last few days, several former BCB officials and organisers have come to the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium to demand resignation of Nazmul and Co, whose term ends on October 2025.
"One of our directors is in touch with him and, according to him, Papon bhai is ready to cooperate (with the government) and is also prepared to quit from the president's post to bring reform in the board," a BCB director, who attended the meeting, was quoted as saying in the report.
Another BCB director, who was part of the meeting, said in the report that if the board is run by an elected body thereafter, they will need full cooperation of the interim government. "If the president resigns he can request to convene a board meeting for acceptance of his resignation and (for next) elections. He can do that," added another veteran director, who is present in the current board.
Asked on what processes would happen if BCB President Hassan resigns, the veteran director said, "I can only talk to you about the constitution that is approved by the general council and apart from that I cannot say anything because I don't know anything.
"If any board director or the president resigns they have to resign to the board. Because normally if anyone from the bank resigns it comes to the board, and the board accepts it or rejects it, According to our constitution, it is the same and if anyone resigns he has to resign to the board and the board has to convene and accept or reject that resignation letter."
"If we accept a resignation there is a vacancy and the vacancy needs to be filled by an election. The president and the vice president election will take place among the 25 (board directors).The board that will accept the resignation can elect the next president and vice-president and that is the process."
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