Faruque Ahmed Takes Charge as BCB President Amid Political Turmoil

Former cricketer and chief selector Faruque Ahmed has been appointed as the new president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), replacing Nazmul Hasan Papon who resigned due to political unrest. The BCB convened an emergency meeting to elect Ahmed. The new leadership aims to stabilize the board and address key issues.

Former cricketer and chief selector Faruque Ahmed has been appointed as the new president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), following the resignation of Nazmul Hasan Papon amid political unrest in Bangladesh.

Ahmed, 58, was elected during an emergency BCB meeting on Wednesday, taking over the role from Papon, who was in his fourth term. Papon had left for London with his wife due to the ongoing political turmoil triggered by a large student protest over job quotas. The unrest ultimately led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government, resulting in widespread violence despite an interim government taking charge.

''I resigned as a selector in the past because I opposed the system. Now, I aim to create a system that can run the board smoothly,'' Faruque told 'Cricbuzz' on Wednesday. Ahmed previously played seven ODIs for Bangladesh between 1988 and 1999, and has served two terms as the BCB chief selector. He resigned from his second term due to disagreements over the selection process.

The National Sports Council (NSC) has also appointed Ahmed and prominent local coach Nazmul Abedin as new directors, replacing Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam. The new appointees participated in the board of directors meeting held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The meeting was attended by several notable figures, including Mahbubul Anam, former cricketers Khaled Mahmud and Akram Khan, and others.

Discussing the current issues, especially the situation with Shakib Al Hasan, Faruque said they will review Shakib's capacity to continue under the present circumstances and consider additional rules regarding player conduct during tours. Amid these changes, Faruque also reiterated his stance on not retaining Chandika Hathurusingha as the national head coach.

(With inputs from agencies.)