Can the Bangladesh Cricket Board hold their next election on time?

The latest development in the cricketing fraternity, following seasoned director Mahbub Anam's decision not to contest the election amid scrutiny, suggests there are plenty of uncertainties, if not outright confusion.

Some believe the election will go ahead on time, while others argue it should be delayed until several unresolved issues are addressed.

Constitution: Many feel that the constitution needs to be amended, as there are several areas requiring change to move the game forward. The BCB once attempted this, but the effort failed after clubs threatened to boycott cricket over the proposed changes.

"If there is election without constitution amendment, it can be quite tricky because it will only prove that the interim government was not interested to bring changes as initially they looked focused towards it (bring changes in constitution). With passing days, they seemed to move away from that direction," a seasoned former BCB director told Cricbuzz on request of not to be named.

"Now if the constitution is challenged it can really put the whole election in jeopardy," he said.

Councilors: There are 60 districts and five divisions currently run on an ad-hoc basis. Many question how ad-hoc committees can nominate genuine cricket organizers as councilors when no divisional or district sports association has been elected. Without elected associations, how can legitimate councilors be nominated?

"There is a chance when the election commission is announced by BCB, there will be a problem as now many organizers who failed to make a cut in the divisional and district sports council might challenge the committee and its formation in the court," he said.

Mahbub Anam: A strong panel inside the BCB supports Mahbub. After his decision not to run, uncertainty now clouds their plans. It is understood they are trying to convince him to reconsider. Mahbub has been a central figure in the board, and much of its activity revolves around him. His followers are now unsure whom to support. Their original plan was to get directors elected first, and then back Mahbub in the presidential race. By supporting individuals aligned with him, they expected to eventually elect him as president in return.

"Many felt that axing Mahbub would make everything easy for them but that is not the case now as they are finding it hard to give a name who will replace the seasoned director and lead them forward," said another official.

Decision regarding 14 third division clubs: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found no evidence of wrongdoing against former BCB president Faruque Ahmed in connection with the alleged unauthorized transfer of Tk 250 crore from BCB's fixed deposits. However, the ACC did raise concerns about 14 third-division qualifying clubs. The BCB has yet to decide whether to retain these clubs or remove them from the league. Each club is entitled to one councilor vote, which could significantly influence the election.

"But are they eligible to take part in the election is a big questions because there is reservation from ACC and it is cleared it can always be questioned," said an official.

Aminul Islam as the next president: Some believe the government will attempt to influence the election by reinstating Aminul Islam as president through 13 votes (10 from divisions and districts, one from Category 1, and two from NSC-nominated councilors), which outnumbers the clubs' 12 votes.

"If Aminul is coming to the board from NSC quota he can be changed when an elected government comes into power so whether he takes that chance remains to be seen because there is another quarter who feels if he comes from Dhaka Division in that case he cannot be removed at the whim of NSC because he will be coming to the board through election," he said.

Another section believes an ad-hoc committee could be appointed to run the board until the national election, though the constitution makes no provision for this. A BCB official insisted that they aim to form the Election Commission by August 25. According to Article 15.1 of the constitution, the executive committee's term is four years from the date of its first meeting.

The previous BCB election took place on October 6, 2021, with the first board meeting held the following day. By that calculation, the current committee must conduct the next election by October 7, 2025.

Meanwhile, 30 days before the election, the BCB's chief executive officer, under the president's direction, must notify relevant parties to nominate councilors for the next general assembly in line with Sections 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3 of the constitution.

As per Section 19 and Chapter 5, the Election Commission formed by the executive committee will draft election rules, announce the schedule, finalize the voter list, and complete all necessary formalities.

Whether the BCB can settle these issues in time to form the Election Commission and hold the election remains uncertain. One thing seems clear: it's easier said than done.