Clubs boycott First Division Cricket League

Clubs under the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) have boycotted the First Division Cricket League in response to the unresolved issue of their demand to withdraw the decision to reduce the number of directors and councilors.

Earlier, on January 14, representatives from 67 out of 76 clubs held a meeting, chaired by former BCB joint secretary Rafiqul Islam Babu, and issued a three-day ultimatum to withdraw the proposal.

Following the ultimatum, the clubs submitted a memorandum regarding the issues to the BCB on Saturday (January 18).

According to the memorandum, the upcoming First Division and Premier Division Cricket Leagues will be boycotted until the proposed clause is repealed, and Nazmul Abedin Fahim is removed from the committee and steps down as a BCB director.

The First Division Cricket League under Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) was set to begin on Monday (January 20), and a trophy unveiling ceremony was planned for Saturday (January 18) at the BCB premises. However, the ceremony was postponed due to pressure from the Dhaka Cricket Club Organizers Association.

Cricket organizer Lutfar Zaman Badal stated, "Our demands are clear; we will not play until our demands are met. We will not support cricket until the conspiracies against us are stopped."

Fellow organizer Rafiqul Islam Babu echoed similar sentiments, saying, "The BCB president assured us he would speak with the board and take action soon. We will return to the field once our demands are met, but not before."

The amendments proposed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) aim to reduce the influence of Dhaka's cricket clubs. Under the new proposal, the number of club representatives on the BCB board would decrease from 12 to just four. In response, the organizers have demanded the resignation of Nazmul Abedin Fahim, the chairman of the constitution amendment committee, and called on BCB president Faruque Ahmed to dissolve the committee and resolve the issue.

A group of organizers met with the BCB president yesterday to discuss the issues, with Director Nazmul Abedin Fahim also in attendance.

"However, The BCB has viewed the clubs' demands positively. I will need five days to decide on this matter. Final decision will be made after a board meeting," said BCB president Faruque Ahmed.

"The First Division Cricket League, originally scheduled to start on January 20, has been postponed," he added.

Meanwhile, CCDM chairman Salahuddin Chowdhury stated that the start date of the postponed First Division League is still uncertain.

He confirmed that the league had been delayed, saying, "The club authorities requested the BCB to postpone the league."