As the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections draw near, Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shajib Bhuiyan has vehemently dismissed allegations of government interference and election “fixing” leveled by Tamim Iqbal and other BNP-aligned sports organizers.
Instead, in a counter-attack during an interview on Wednesday (October 1), Bhuiyan claimed that it was the opposing group—who recently withdrew their nominations—that had actually attempted to manipulate the election process.
“The fixing was attempted by Tamim Bhai [Tamim Iqbal] and his associates, and they failed,” Asif Bhuiyan stated, insisting that all complaints raised by the withdrawing candidates were “completely false.”
Counter-Accusations of Manipulation
Bhuiyan detailed the alleged tactics used by the opposing camp in their failed attempt to “fix” the election. “They called the President and Secretary from their side demanding that they be given councilor positions; Deputy Commissioners (DCs) were threatened, and much more was done. I’d rather not go into all the details,” he said.
The strong denial comes after Tamim Iqbal and several BNP-backed sports organizers withdrew their nominations from the upcoming polls, citing government interference and electoral fixing as their reasons.
International Controversy Mentioned
The Sports Advisor also condemned actions taken by the opposition that he claimed were embarrassing for the country. Bhuiyan astonishingly revealed that a complaint had been lodged with an international cricketer.
“Someone called and complained to Virat Kohli, who then shared it with Gautam Gambhir and the rest,” Bhuiyan said. “One should not make complaints that bring shame to our country.”
Defending His Conduct
Addressing accusations that his actions resembled those of former BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon, Asif defended his role by highlighting his commitment to involving genuine sports organizers.
He cited a specific organizer, Rajjak Raj, stating, “Rajjak Raj Bhai is not my personal anything. I last saw him a year ago when he was working on the board.”
The highly controversial election for the Bangladesh Cricket Board is scheduled to take place on October 6.
