‘Faruque removed for performance, not corruption’

Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud has clarified that the removal of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed was driven by performance issues, not allegations of corruption.

Talking to reporters during the prize-giving ceremony of the 35th National (Men's) Handball Championship 2025 yesterday, Asif stated that the International Cricket Council (ICC) welcomed the change in leadership and the move followed due process in line with the BCB constitution and ICC guidelines.

"This is not some sort of punishment," Asif said. "We must judge based on performance, and that performance hasn't been satisfactory. Cricket is our main sport, and unfortunately, we've seen a steady decline. The BPL investigation committee report and the current state of cricket made it clear that a change was needed."

Faruque was replaced by former national captain Aminul Islam Bulbul after the National Sports Council (NSC) revoked Faruque's directorship following a no-confidence motion by eight out of nine BCB directors. Asif emphasised that the removal was administrative and procedural, not personal.

"We did not remove the president per se. We withdrew his nomination as a director, which in turn vacated his presidency," Asif explained. "It's similar to how a player underperforms and gets dropped. This was purely a performance-based decision."

Addressing concerns about government interference, Asif said, "The government acted within its authority. There was no undue interference. And importantly, we've been in constant communication with the ICC. They've welcomed the new leadership."

Responding to Faruque's claim that he wasn't given a chance to defend himself, Asif noted, "I spoke to him personally. He couldn't answer some of the key questions. We tried to resolve the matter quietly, but when that failed, we had to take action."

Asif concluded by reiterating the goal: "Our focus is to improve cricket. This decision was made with that purpose in mind."