A pioneer in dire straits

Reza-E-Karim, a dedicated cricket organiser in the formative years of the country's cricket, has been suffering from multiple diseases. His medical expenses are crippling his family's finances.

“My father (Reza-E-Karim) has multiple problems. We need to spend a huge amount of money for his kidney dialysis every month. We spent around Tk 45 lakh for his cancer treatment in Singapore and borrowed a huge amount for his treatment.  We are really struggling to maintain his treatment,” said Nazmul Karim, the only son of the 76-year old Reza.

“In January this year Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) gave us Tk 6 lakh for his treatment and we are grateful to the board. But his cancer treatment in Singapore in April this year made things difficult for us and that's why some time in June we wrote to the BCB for their help. We are yet to get any response,” he added.

Reza-E-Karim was a secretary of the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (as BCB was then called) during its formative years and he successfully ran the show year after year with great success. It was he who had drafted the board's first constitution. Karim had worked hard to convince Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to visit to Bangladesh in 1976, which eventually earned the country the ICC Associate membership the following year on the basis of the MCC's recommendations.