United News of Bangladesh

Corporate leader and sports organizer Rubaba Dowla has been drafted into the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), replacing Isfak Ahsan, whose nomination was quietly withdrawn hours after Monday’s board election.   The National Sports Council (NSC), which appoints two directors to the 25-member BCB board, made the switch overnight after questions surfaced about Isfak’s political background.   He had previously sought the Awami League’s nomination for a parliamentary seat in Chandpur and later contested as an independent. Once photos of him attending party events began circulating online, the criticism was swift — and by early Tuesday, his name was off the list.   Rubaba, currently the Country Director for Oracle Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, she has built a reputation as one of the country’s leading corporate figures.   Before joining Oracle, she spent over a decade at Grameenphone, where she was a familiar face in cricket circles during the company’s long sponsorship of the national team.   She has also been active in sports beyond cricket.   From 2009 to 2015, she served as President of the Bangladesh Badminton Federation, and she sits on the board of Special Olympics Bangladesh.//    

The National Sports Council has withdrawn Isfak Ahsan from its list of nominees to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), only hours after Monday’s election wrapped up.   The move came after news circulated on social media about Isfak being a member of the Awami League.    By late night, officials decided to pull his name back, saying a new director would be named on Tuesday.   The NSC can nominate two members to the board of directors of the BCB.    Aminul Islam, who has returned as BCB president, now begins his new term with a board already facing questions about how politically neutral it really is.   At the NSC office, there was little effort to hide the unease. Officials admitted the background checks were rushed, saying they wanted to avoid any controversy at a time when the country’s top sports body is under unusual scrutiny.   A replacement is expected within the day.    

As expected, Aminul Islam Bulbul, Bangladesh's first Test centurion, has been installed as president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), after all his opponents dropped out one-by-one by the eve of an election marred by allegations of government influence. Chief Election Commissioner Mohammad Hussain announced the official results around 8:15pm on Monday at a Dhaka hotel, confirming Aminul’s continuation as BCB chief. He has already served in the position for four months after taking over in the wake of Faruque Ahmed's removal. Faruque will now serve as one of two vice presidents who were also elected unopposed - the other being Shakhawat Hossain. The announcement ended a tense election period that drew controversy over alleged government interference, boycotts by several candidates, and last-minute legal reversals that altered the voter list. Despite these disputes, Aminul’s re-election was widely expected after key rivals withdrew or were ruled out amid a divided election process. Aminul, who first assumed the presidency on an interim basis four months ago following Faruque Ahmed’s unexpected removal, will now lead the 25-member board that emerged from the day’s polls. The new committee includes former players, club representatives, and administrators from across the country’s divisions. While the new board takes office under a cloud of skepticism, Aminul promised ahead of the vote to focus on stability and continuity in Bangladesh cricket. Khaled Mashud elected BCB director first time as new board takes shape “My only goal is to work for the betterment of Bangladesh cricket,” he told reporters Sunday. The two vice presidents, Shakhawat and Faruque, are both seen as strong insiders in the cricket establishment. Shakhawat, a former divisional administrator, and Faruque, an ex-national captain as well as recent board president, also bring experience to the board’s leadership team. Monday’s results complete one of the most debated BCB elections in recent years, with Aminul’s camp now firmly in charge and several opposition candidates claiming the process was influenced by “forces beyond cricket.”    

Former Bangladesh captain and wicket-keep batter Khaled Mashud has been elected as a director in the new board of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). it’s a new chapter in his cricket journey after years on the sidelines of administration. Mashud won by a landslide in the only truly contested category of Monday’s board election — one held under a cloud of controversy and allegations of government influence. According to preliminary results, Mashud secured 35 votes in Category-3, which represents former players, captains, and institutions such as universities and education boards. His rival, Jahangirnagar University’s representative Debabrata Pal, bagged just seven votes. Though official results were pending, celebrations broke out inside a Dhaka hotel soon after word spread of Mashud’s victory. Supporters surrounded him with garlands, chanting his name as he smiled broadly — nearly lost in a sea of flowers. But the election’s credibility remained in question. Debabrata, the defeated candidate, alleged that the polls were influenced by “forces beyond cricket,” calling the process “deeper than match-fixing.” His comments sounded the same like the wider criticism from candidates who boycotted or withdrew in protest against what they called state interference in the run-up to the vote. Mashud’s entry comes as the new 25-member BCB board takes shape following a tense and highly politicized election cycle. In Category-1, representing the divisions, Aminul Islam and Nazmul Abedin won from Dhaka, while Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury and singer-turned-director Asif Akbar claimed the Chattogram seats. Former spinner Abdur Razzak and Zulfikar Ali Khan were elected unopposed from Khulna, with other winners including Muklesur Rahman (Rajshahi), Hasanuzzaman (Rangpur), Rahat Shams (Sylhet), and Shakhawat Hossain (Barishal). In Category-2, which includes Dhaka’s club representatives, the 12 directors elected are Ishtiaq Sadek, Adnan Rahman Dipon, Fayazur Rahman, Abul Bashar, Amzad Hossain, Shanian Tanim, Mukhsedul Kamal, M. Nazmul Islam, Faruk Ahmed, Monzur Alam, Meherab Alam Chowdhury, and Iftikhar Rahman Mithu. Controversial BCB elections to proceed Monday amid boycott, court rulings, and alleged political interference Two additional directors — M. Ishfaq Hossain and Yasir Mohammad Faysal Ashik — have been nominated by the National Sports Council. With Aminul Islam expected to retain the presidency after an election marred by boycotts and court rulings, Mashud’s arrival injects a measure of cricketing credibility into a board struggling to regain public trust.  

Bangladesh complete a clinical 3–0 sweep over Afghanistan with a six-wicket win in the third T20I, chasing 144 with 12 balls to spare after Saif Hassan’s measured 64 not out off 38 balls anchored an innings that briefly flickered, then steadied. Put in after Bangladesh won the toss, Afghanistan never quite escaped the grip of Bangladesh's seam-spin rotation and struggled to 143 for 9. Darwish Rasooli (32 off 29) and Sediqullah Atal (28 off 23) offered progress through the middle, and a late-order nudge from Mujeeb Ur Rahman (23* off 18) lifted the total beyond 140. The damage came earlier: Mohammad Saifuddin (3 for 15) nicked out Wafiullah Tarakhil and Rasooli to stall Afghanistan's momentum after the Powerplay, while left-armer spinner Nasum Ahmed (2 for 24) and the ever-consistent Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2 for 24) with his right-arm fast medium kept the squeeze on. Rashid Khan briefly counterpunched with a cameo (12 off 7) , but Afghanistan never really managed to get out of jail after falling to 98 for 7. Bangladesh’s reply began in brisk, unfussy fashion despite a maiden from Mujeeb to start. Parvez Hossain Emon’s skied miscue to Rashid off Azmatullah Omarzai (3–0–12–1) made it 24 for 1, but Saif—promoted to No. 3 this series—set the tone, picking length early and clearing the arc seven times in an innings that married clean swing with restraint. Tanzid Hasan (33 off 33) partnered him in a 55-run stand that took Bangladesh to 79 for 1 at drinks. There was a jolt: Mujeeb, operating with drift and dip, trapped Jaker Ali lbw and then hit the top of off to remove Shamim Hossain with consecutive deliveries, flipping 109 for 2 to 109 for 4 in the 14th over. Rashid had already bowled superbly giving away only 13 runs in four overs, but with Afghanistan’s quicks misfiring—Abdollah Ahmadzai conceded 50 runs off 4 overs—Bangladesh rode out the turbulence. Saif cooled the chase with a maiden against Rashid, then resumed, lifting to a fifty off 32 balls. Nurul Hasan (10* off 9), who has staked his claim as something of a finisher for Bangladesh in this series, closed out this one too with a lofted six over cover off Ahmadzai. The clean sweep—Bangladesh’s second in T20Is against Afghanistan—owed as much to the bowlers’ parsimony as to Saif’s clarity under pressure. Saif took Player of the Match; Nasum, whose new-ball and middle-overs control framed all three nights, was named Player of the Series.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) goes to the polls Monday, but almost nothing about it feels normal. Half the candidates are gone. Tamim Iqbal’s camp has walked out, crying foul over what they call “a fixed match.” And a last-minute court order has dragged the already murky voter list back into the spotlight. The Supreme Court on Sunday overturned a High Court decision that had barred 15 disputed clubs from voting — a ruling that could tilt the field in favor of incumbent president Aminul Islam. Those clubs, promoted from third-division qualifiers in what rivals call a “midnight promotion,” can now cast their ballots. Aminul, who has run the board since June, insists he’s not leaning on political help. “I didn’t feel any government pressure,” he told reporters in Mirpur. “If people think I’m not right for the job, I can step away. But I believe continuing is important for cricket.” Not everyone buys that. Abdullah Al Fuad Reduan, a director candidate from Jamalpur, quit the race Sunday afternoon, saying the process makes the "old midnight vote" - a reference to the much-talked about scandal surrounding the 2018 national election - look clean. He complained that electronic and postal ballots were being misused. His exit leaves Aminul and operations chief Nazmul Abedin unopposed in Dhaka Division. The election, held every four years, will fill 23 board seats — 10 from districts and divisions, 12 from Dhaka’s clubs, and one from former players and institutions. The National Sports Council will later nominate two more. Several heavyweights, including former Bangladesh spinner Abdur Razzak and singer Asif Akbar, have already been elected unopposed. But the boycott has cast a long shadow. Forty-eight Dhaka clubs have warned they will stay away from all cricket if the polls aren’t delayed. Aminul calls the unrest “part of the process,” but even he admitted, “Here, a lot of no-balls have been bowled.” Monday’s vote will likely secure his position. What it won’t likely secure is peace inside Bangladesh cricket.

India have appointed Shubman Gill as the new captain of the ODI side, replacing Rohit Sharma. The decision came right ahead of the series against Australia. Despite losing the captaincy, Rohit remains in the squad alongside Virat Kohli. Both senior batters are returning to international cricket for the first time since the Champions Trophy final in March this year. Already captain in the Test and T20 side, Gill’s promotion as the ODI captain had been on the cards for some time. His appointment in the ODI format is widely viewed as part of a long-term plan leading up to the 2027 World Cup. Despite limited captaincy experience — he’s led just six List-A matches — Gill has impressed selectors with his poise and consistency. In 55 ODIs, he has already scored 2,775 runs with eight centuries, often anchoring India’s top order with maturity that belies his age.

Bangladesh have handed top-order batter Saif Hassan his maiden ODI call-up and brought back wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan for the three-match series against Afghanistan, to be held in Abu Dhabi later this month. Saif, who made a strong case with his recent form, returns to the national setup after a productive Asia Cup campaign, where he scored 61 and 69 in back-to-back innings against Sri Lanka and India. His calm approach and improved shot selection in the middle overs have caught the selectors’ attention. Nurul, on the other hand, made an immediate impact in Sharjah this week. His unbeaten 23 off 13 balls guided Bangladesh to a tense win in the first T20I, marking a timely comeback for the 30-year-old after nearly two years out of the ODI side. Regular captain Litton Das remains unavailable as he continues to recover from a side strain picked up during the Asia Cup, while Parvez Hossain Emon has been left out of the squad that faced Afghanistan in July. There have also been some off-field hurdles. Mohammad Naim is yet to receive his UAE visa, delaying his travel, and Soumya Sarkar — part of the T20I setup — remains stranded in Dhaka for the same reason. ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, along with Najmul Hossain Shanto, Hasan Mahmud, Tanvir Islam and Nahid Rana, will fly out on Friday to join the rest of the team. The ODI leg of the tour begins in Abu Dhabi on October 8, followed by matches on October 11 and 14. The series comes right after the ongoing T20Is in Sharjah, where Bangladesh have already secured a 2–0 lead. Bangladesh ODI squad: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Hasan Mahmud

Bangladesh left it late but held their nerve in Sharjah on Friday night, pulling off a two-wicket win over Afghanistan to clinch the three-match T20I series with a game to spare. Set 148 to chase, the visitors looked comfortable at 102 for 4 with Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain striking freely. But a flurry of wickets — sparked by Azmatullah Omarzai’s fiery spell — left Bangladesh reeling at 129 for 8. Suddenly, the game was back in the balance. That was when Nurul Hasan and Shoriful Islam steadied things. Nurul cleared the ropes three times in his 31 not out off 21 balls, while Shoriful — better known for his left-arm pace — swung his bat for a priceless 11 off six. His pulled boundary off Omarzai in the 19th over sealed the win with five balls to spare. Earlier, Afghanistan’s innings had promised more than the final 147 for 5. Ibrahim Zadran played the anchor with 38, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck 30 in his usual busy style. Nabi added a quick 20 at the end, but Bangladesh’s bowlers — led by Shoriful (1 for 13) and Nasum Ahmed (2 for 25) — kept a lid on the scoring. Jaker (32 off 25) and Shamim (33 off 22) gave Bangladesh the middle-overs push that seemed enough to break Afghanistan’s grip, but Omarzai’s four wickets and Rashid Khan’s guile nearly turned the match around. “It feels good — we’ve been clinical in both games,” said stand-in captain Jaker. “Our bowlers set the tone and the batters showed character against quality spin. Credit to the boys for staying positive.” Shoriful, named Player of the Match, said his plan was simple: “I just wanted to do what I’d been working on in practice. With the bat, Nurul told me to stay calm, and I backed myself.” Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan admitted they were short on runs. “We needed 15 or 20 more. The spinners bowled well and Omarzai was outstanding, but we couldn’t finish strongly,” he said after the match.

Bangladesh’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan in Colombo on Thursday was important for the team’s World Cup campaign, but the story that carried beyond the ground was about one young bowler. Nineteen-year-old Marufa Akter produced the kind of opening spell cricketers dream about. With the new ball under lights at the Premadasa, she swung two in sharply to remove Omaima Sohail and Sidra Amin in the very first over. Pakistan never really recovered, and Bangladesh were always in control from there. Captain Nigar Sultana, who has spoken often about the need for early breakthroughs, was quick to credit her fast bowler. “I told the girls that we needed wickets in the powerplay. Marufa is very young, but she’s mature and confident. How she delivered was incredible,” she said after the match. For Marufa, named Player of the Match, it was as much about belief as skill. “Everyone was supporting me,” she said. “Shobhana Mostary told me, ‘You’re a lovely bowler; you can do it.’ Our analyst reminded me two months ago that I could make an impact here. The first ball swung nicely, and I just kept my line and length.” Nigar Sultana and Fatima set for World Cup clash, friendship on hold Her spell drew attention far beyond Bangladesh. Indian great Mithali Raj, working on ICC’s coverage, described it as high-class new-ball bowling. “She got great swing and bowled in the right areas. Swing is important, but without line and length it doesn’t work. She nailed both and picked up two quick wickets,” Mithali said, adding that Marufa had caught her eye back in the 2023 T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, called the inswinger to Sidra Amin “pure skill.” Excellent control. So far the best delivery in this tournament.” ICC itself posted clips of the over on its social platforms, highlighting what it called a game-turning burst. Bangladesh’s spinners — Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan, and Shorna Akter — ensured Pakistan were bundled out for 129, and the chase was comfortable thanks to debutant Rubya Haider’s half-century. But the conversations after the game were less about the scoreline and more about what Bangladesh may have found: a genuine pace bowler who can trouble top orders. Marufa has already played two T20 World Cups, but this was her first big ODI stage. For a side long built around spin, her ability to move the new ball feels like something different. For now, Bangladesh prepare to face England in Guwahati on October 7. But one fiery over from a teenager has given their campaign a new edge — and given women’s cricket a new name to follow.