SPORTS REPORTER

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set for a board meeting on Saturday on the backdrop of another director stepping down on Thursday -- the third such resignation in less than six months of the current board.

Yasir Mohammad Foysal Ashiq, who came into the board from the National Sports Council (NSC) quota, tendered his resignation.

“I have resigned due to personal reasons. I have submitted it to the BCB’s central office. There was no issue of interference in my decision,” Yasir told The Daily Star.

BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury could not be reached for a comment.

Yasir was one of the two NSC-nominated directors in the current board. Initially, Isfak Hasan had been nominated alongside him but after his links with the deposed Awami League government surfaced -- he had sought nomination from Awami League for the national election in 2024 -- he was replaced by Rubaba Dowla.

Ministry of Youth and Sports secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam told The Daily Star that the NSC has not yet discussed a replacement.

“We are aware of the resignation but it has happened just today [Thursday]. We have a sports council to decide on these issues. The honourable State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque is the chairman of the council. A decision will be made after discussions with him,” he informed.

Before Yasir, director Ishtiaque Sadeque had resigned in January citing personal reasons while last month, Amjad Hossain also stepped down as a director.

However, BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul had told The Daily Star during a recent interview that their resignations have not been accepted yet.

Ahead of the meeting, there is tangible anxiety in the air in BCB as an independent inquiry committee, formed by the NSC, is currently investigating alleged irregularities in last year’s BCB election.

Ahead of the polls on October 6, Bulbul had sent a letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports on September 18, asking district and divisional sports associations to send councillors’ names only from the ad-hoc committees.

This letter remains at the heart of the controversy surrounding that election, which a BCB director highlighted as a “mistake” to The Daily Star.

The inquiry committee began its work on March 24 and is expected to submit its report by the second week of April, which will shed light on the fate of the current board.