Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam has strongly denied reports that he requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to freeze funding for Bangladesh cricket, describing the claims as fabricated and insisting he would never seek action that could harm the country’s game. His response came in a video statement after reports emerged alleging he had written to the ICC challenging the legitimacy of the current BCB administration.
Aminul rejects reports of ICC funding request
Aminul Islam, Former Bangladesh Cricket Board President, said in a video statement: “I saw a news report circulating which claims that I have supposedly requested the ICC to stop Bangladesh’s funding. That is absolutely impossible, and it is something I have never done, nor has it ever happened. This is a complete fabrication.”
He went on to accuse those behind the reports of repeatedly attempting to damage his reputation during his time in charge of the BCB.
“This syndicate that is operating this way used to harass me every single day when I was working in Bangladesh. They tried to establish every single lie as the truth, but they always failed, and they will fail this time as well.”
As one example, Aminul said false rumours had circulated during his tenure, including claims that he was being sent away from Bangladesh to Australia or another country. He said those claims were eventually proven false before linking them to the latest allegation.
“Later, those claims were proven false, and their lies never gained traction. This is just another lie, because I would never make a request to the ICC that would cause any harm to Bangladesh. And why would the ICC even listen to me? I do not have that kind of access to the ICC anyway.”
Reported legal submission fuels controversy
The denial followed reports that Aminul had challenged the legitimacy of the current BCB leadership through a legal submission to the ICC.
According to bdnews24, which reported that it obtained portions of the legal submission bearing Aminul’s signature, the document requested that ICC funding to the BCB be withheld while the governing body’s Dispute Resolution Committee and the Bangladeshi courts determined who should be recognised as the board’s legitimate authority.
The reported submission stated: “Direct that all ICC funding currently due or payable to the BCB be placed in escrow or frozen pending: (a) the ICC’s determination of the legitimate governing authority of the BCB; (b) the reinstatement of the elected board or a final determination by the ICC DRC; and (c) the conclusion of the domestic court proceedings in Bangladesh. No ICC funding should be released to any body claiming BCB authority on the basis of the 07 June 2026 election.”
Another section of the reported submission called on the ICC to require the reinstatement of Aminul’s elected board and outlined the consequences it said should follow if that did not happen.
It stated: “…failure to reinstate the elected board within a deadline to be specified by the ICC will result in the exercise of the ICC’s powers under Article 2.10(A), including suspension of BCB’s Full Membership, freezing of ICC funding, and exclusion of Bangladesh teams from all ICC events.”
Aminul insists he supports Bangladesh cricket
Aminul concluded his video statement by urging supporters not to believe what he described as misinformation and reaffirmed his commitment to the development of cricket in Bangladesh.
“I hope you have understood the situation, and I hope we do not let this misconception take root. Please know that we stand with Bangladesh cricket. Rest assured, we want Bangladesh cricket to move forward and prosper; that is all we desire. Take care.”
Governance dispute provides wider context
The dispute stems from the National Sports Council’s decision in April to dissolve the Aminul-led BCB board after an investigation found alleged irregularities in the previous board election, as previously reported by cricexec. Aminul has continued to maintain that he remains the legitimate President despite the board’s removal.
Following the dissolution, former Bangladesh Captain Tamim Iqbal was appointed to lead an ad hoc committee responsible for overseeing fresh elections. Those elections were held in June, with Tamim elected unopposed as BCB President for a four-year term, as reported previously by cricexec.
The conflicting accounts surrounding the reported legal submission and Aminul’s subsequent denial have added another chapter to the ongoing governance dispute, with questions over the legitimacy of the board continuing to play out alongside Bangladesh cricket’s administrative transition.
