Bangladesh Cricket Board’s New President Pledges Transparency Amid Corruption Concerns

In a bold move towards transparency, the newly appointed President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Faruque Ahmed, announced the engagement of a top-tier audit firm to scrutinize the board’s finances. This decision comes in the wake of recent allegations of corruption during the tenure of former BCB President Nazmul Hasan, who stepped down from his position.

“We will appoint an independent audit firm from amongst the top four in the country,” Faruque revealed during his first board meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday, August 30. “The decision was taken to uncover any irregularities. If anything happened over the years, it will be unearthed after the audit. The Anti-Corruption Commission will act if any irregularities are found. There was some corruption on the board. I cannot deny it, and everyone knows about it.”

Faruque’s tenure as president marks a significant shift towards accountability within the BCB. He also expressed a desire to revisit the assessment report from the 2023 World Cup, along with other reports that have been kept under wraps. Recently, BCB director Akram Khan, who was part of the assessment committee for the World Cup, called for the report to be made public.

“There is a report of the last World Cup, along with some others from the past that haven’t seen the light of day,” Faruque said. “I have asked the CEO to show me these reports, and I will make a decision after reviewing them. It is only logical to bring these reports to the public. Because I am not part of the previous administration, there is no problem in revealing them, and I want to disclose them to the world.”

One of the potential outcomes of this review could be the future of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who has been partially blamed for Bangladesh’s disappointing World Cup performance. Hathurusingha’s contract runs until the end of the 2025 Champions Trophy, but the BCB is already exploring other coaching options.

A source within the BCB confirmed that Faruque is discreetly reaching out to potential candidates to gauge their interest in the head coach position, should a change be necessary. However, Faruque emphasized that any decision would be made thoughtfully and without haste.

“I don’t want to make any decisions that would make me look like a dictator,” Faruque stated. “We are discussing Hathurusingha’s future, but we are in the middle of a tour, and we don’t want to disrupt the team’s focus. We will conduct a thorough investigation into the impact of his tenure on Bangladesh cricket before making any decisions. You can expect some developments in the near future.”

In addition to addressing internal issues, Faruque also expressed optimism about the future of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Despite concerns that some franchises might withdraw due to the changing political landscape, the BCB President is confident that the tournament will proceed as planned.

“We are committed to holding the BPL on schedule, with the first match set for December 27,” Faruque affirmed. “We will conduct the players’ draft in September. While some teams may be uncertain about continuing, we are prepared to find new ownership if necessary. This is a challenge, but we are determined to overcome it and ensure the BPL’s success.”

Faruque’s leadership is already making waves within the BCB, signaling a new era of transparency, accountability, and commitment to the future of Bangladeshi cricket.