DHAKA, Sept 21, 2021 (BSS)-Incumbent Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) 
president Nazmul Hassan Papon wants the upcoming election of the board of 
directors to be open and keenly contested as he refused to come up with any 
panel.

   At the same time, he also showed his reluctance to be the BCB president 
again, saying that "we should have a pipeline where new leadership will 
come."

   Papon first assumed the power is BCB In 2012 when Bangladesh government 
nominated his as the president. He however was the first elected president of 
the BCB when he came to the power uncontested in 2013.

   In 2017 election, he was elected uncontested as no one gives any panel 
against him. This seemed to irk him to such extent that he now doesn't want 
to continue as president. But he said he doesn't have any problem to be the 
director of the board. 

   The directors of the board in fact elect the BCB president in the first 
meeting after the election as the constitution. 

   "One thing is clear to me that no one will stand in this position 
(President) until I die, this is what I believe," he said after an emergency 
meeting of the board today.

   "Let everyone who comes on board challenge me. I want someone say, 'I want 
to be president,' but no one says! It's not a good sign. Nothing is stopped 
for anyone. We should have a pipeline where new leadership will come. There 
are people to lead but sadly, no one wants to come. No one stands when the 
panel is given. It is becoming uncontested. Let the election be open," he 
added. 

   Papon said the trend should be changed and election should be held this 
time around.

   "I don't have a panel. Whoever wishes can contest in the polls. There will 
be an election and it will be open. Anyone can come here if he is elected. If 
I win in the election, I will become a director. But what will be my first 
request after the election, is that I don't want to be president. But I am 
here to support. I don't know what happens next. Every time there is a panel, 
no one contests when the panel is given. Since the election is open now, no 
one can say he is my candidate. I hope this time the election will be held."

   A total of 25 directors will be elected through an election, which is 
likely to be held in the first week of October.

   The BCB had already formed a five-member election commission with M Farhad 
Hussain, FCA, former President Institute of Chartered Accountants of 
Bangladesh (ICAB) as Chief Election Commissioner. The other members of the 
commission are Omar Faruque, ndc, former Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh 
Government, Barrister Muddasir Hossain, Legal Advisor BCB, Ekramul Hoque, 
Advocate Bangladesh Supreme Court and former Deputy Attorney General for 
Bangladesh and Nizamuddin Chowdhury, CEO BCB . 

   Meanwhile, the councilorship of former captains and cricketers has been 
finalized. Roqibul Hasan, Faruk Ahmed, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Habibul Bashar 
and Rajin Saleh have been elected in the quota of five former captains. The 
ten former cricketers are Khaled Mahmud Sujan, Selim Shahed, Sajjad Ahmed 
Shipon, Ahsanullah Hasan, Nafis Iqbal, Talha Jubayer, Faisal Hossain Dickens, 
Abdur Razzak, Hannan Sarkar and Azam Iqbal.

   BCB has received the list of names of club category councilors. There is 
no possibility of voting in this category. 12 directors from clubs can be 
elected without contest. Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby are the 
directors in the quota of the National Sports Council (NSC). The top six 
clubs of Dhaka Premier League (DPL), who made it to the super six in the 
preceding year of DPL have two councilors as per the constitution. DPL 
champions Abahani picked up BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon and Shayan 
Rahman as their councilors. Mohammedan's councilors are BCB director Mahbub 
Anam and Masuduzzman. The election commission however will publish the full 
list of the councilors later.