Bangladesh Cricket Board dissolved amid election fraud probe

Bangladesh’s National Sports Council dissolved the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, citing “gross irregularities” linked to the board’s 2025 election. Officials said an interim 11-member committee has been installed to run the BCB and must organise fresh elections within three months.

The move follows findings by an independent committee that reviewed the October 2025 BCB election and reported significant irregularities. That election resulted in former national captain Aminul Islam Bulbul being elected unopposed for a four-year term, after he had served as temporary president since March 2025.

Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal was named to lead the interim committee. At 39, he becomes the youngest leader of Bangladesh cricket, according to the details provided with the appointment. Tamim ended his international career in September 2023 after scoring more than 15,000 runs for Bangladesh, and he is the only Bangladeshi player to have made centuries in all formats of international cricket.

The dissolution comes against a wider political and diplomatic backdrop. Bangladesh went through an uprising in 2024 that removed former leader Sheikh Hasina, and a new government took office in February. The timing also precedes a planned “goodwill visit” to India by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, which officials said is intended to improve bilateral ties.

Cricket has recently been a sensitive issue in relations between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh declined to take part in the February 2026 World Cup in India, citing security concerns after an incident involving Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and subsequent online outrage from Indian groups. The latest administrative shake-up places Bangladesh’s cricket governance under interim management as the country navigates both domestic political change and a delicate regional relationship.

The transition also arrives shortly before Bangladesh’s scheduled tour against New Zealand, which is due to begin on April 17. The itinerary includes three One-Day Internationals, three Twenty20 matches, and two Test matches, meaning the interim committee will oversee preparations and decision-making during an active international window.