Rebel clubs boycott domestic cricket, term Bulbul committee ‘illegal’

Drama continues even after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections, as 48 rebel clubs have announced a boycott of all forms of domestic cricket, branding the newly elected committee ‘illegal’ and accusing it of widespread rigging.

The announcement came on Wednesday, October 8, at a press conference held at a hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka. The briefing, organised under the banner of ‘Dhaka Cricket Club Organiser’, was addressed by Mohammedan Sporting Club official Masuduzzaman and attended by around 40 club organisers, including former national captain Tamim Iqbal.

Masuduzzaman said, “The October 6 election surpassed all limits of manipulation. We do not accept this election. To us, newly elected president Aminul Islam Bulbul is illegal. Since the spirit of cricket has been lost, we declare that we will not participate in any league, from the Premier Division down to the grassroots. Cricket will remain suspended for now.”

He added, “Ahead are the Federation Cricket League, the Second Division and the First Division. We, the clubs who were planning to join, now declare that cricket has lost its beauty. If you want to continue like this, we will not play cricket. If any club representatives are threatened or trapped in conspiracies, we will remain united. For now, cricket is off. This is our declaration.”

Earlier, these clubs had placed three demands ahead of the polls, including rescheduling the election or forming an ad hoc committee to conduct fresh voting. They also submitted a memorandum to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in this regard. As their demands were ignored and the election proceeded, the clubs have now taken the drastic step of boycotting domestic cricket.