Nazmul Hasan To Step Down As Bangladesh Cricket Board President Following His Appointment As Sports Minister

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan is all set to step down from his position, having completed his present tenure.

Nazmul took over the role of the Ministry of Youth and Sports on January 11 after being elected a member of the parliament on January 7.

Following his new appointment after his win in the general elections, there were several questions raised about the doubt of him to continue with the role as the president of BCB, a post he has been serving since 2012.

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"There are no problems in the law about me holding both posts (BCB president and Minister of Youth and Sports)," Nazmul said on Friday. "There is no relationship between getting ministry and leaving from the post of BCB because earlier there were several ministers who also fulfilled the roles. It is also there abroad so that is not the issue.

"But it would be good if that is not the case (holding both the posts) because then there might be speculations of me prioritizing cricket. I want to prioritize everything (being the Minister of Sports)."

Nazmul, however, will have to complete his ongoing tenure.

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"Basically there are quite a few factors here. First thing is that even if I wish for it, I can't leave now. We have seen this in the case of Zimbabwe where they were suspended for almost two years and also in the case of Sri Lanka. I feel that there can't be a rush to take a decision that may harm the country's cricket.

"One option is to talk to the ICC because there are two things which are very important. One is our term, which ICC always wants that an elected body finish their full term and the other is ICC's current board's own term," he said.

"Greg Barclay is the chairman and his tenure possibly ends at the end of this year. At this time, various people are given charge of different committees and I am also in various committees. I am also chairman of one committee and they don't accept changes in these positions. So if I leave suddenly, who will be the chairman of that committee? So I have to talk to the ICC. I feel that at the earliest, when ICC's term ends, then I can talk to them and have an opportunity to get out of it smoothly," he noted.

In case Nazmul decides to step down with immediate effect, one of the existing members of the board will take over the role on an interim basis as the next BCB election is scheduled to take place in October 2025.

"Those that are directors now (in BCB), one has to be chosen from among them. There is no opportunity for someone to come from outside," he said.

BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury echoed the same sentiment. "The Bangladesh Cricket Board president position is an elected position, unlike the past when it was nominated by the government," he was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying.

"The BCB is guided by the ICC constitution and according to the ICC constitution, there can't be any government interference and the cricket board president needs to be in an electoral position. Taking that into consideration we had to change the constitution and make the president position as elected," said Nizamuddin.

"The election process is that the person has to be a councilor of the BCB. After that, he has to become a director through election. Then from the directors, one can become the president. That's the process. At this moment, no one from outside [BCB] can become president since you have to become a councilor and there is no provision for that in our constitution right now. Councillors are called before their tenure ends but current councillors have term until 2025," he added.

Nazmul began to run the cricket governing board in Bangladesh for the first time in 2012 and was re-elected for the post twice without contesting the elections in 2013 and 2017 as the panel stood in his support.