The election of the biggest sporting body in the country, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), is set to take place Wednesday at its premises adjoining the Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

A total of 31 councillors will contest the elections for 16 director posts. BCB has a total of 25 posts for the directors, but seven have already been elected unopposed, while two directors will be appointed by the National Sports Council (NSC).

A total of 173 voters were supposed to vote in the election, but with seven posts already filled, 46 councillors will not be required to vote. So the electorate will consist of 127 councillors. 

Seventy of them will be able to vote in-person at the polling centre set up inside the BCB’s Board Room , while the rest (57) will use postal or e-ballots.

“I had a visit to the polling centre today,” SM Kabirul Islam, a presiding officer, told reporters on Tuesday. “We will announce an unofficial result tomorrow once the polling is completed, but an official result will come a day after tomorrow.”

To compete for 23 posts, a total of 32 councillors had collected nomination papers, but two of them later dropped out. They did it within a deadline for doing so.

But two other councillors, Khalid Hossain from Madaripur, and Syed Ashfaqul Islam Titu from Kishoreganj ,who declared they were running later decided to recall their candidacies past the deadline, and thus their names will remain on the ballot, according to the election commission.

Since both of them are from Dhaka Division, it is expected to lead to two more directors getting elected unopposed - Naimur Rahman Durjoy and Tanvir Ahmed Titu are expected to benefit.

However, the names of Khalid and Ashfaqul will still be on the ballot papers as they failed to recall their participation on time.

As in the board of directors, Ahmed Sajjadul Alam and Jalal Yunus are likely to be nominated as directors by the NSC.

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud will contest the election from Rajshahi, against Saiful Alam Swapan Chowdhury who was a director in the previous term.

Another former captain Khaled Mahmud Sujon will also contest the election, and he will be challenged by Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, a coach and cricket director of BKSP.

The most exciting contest is expected in the club category election where 16 councillors will contest for 12 posts.

The voting will begin at 10am on Wednesday, and will continue till 5pm.

Already elected (unopposed): A J M Nasir Uddin, Akram Khan (Chattogram), Kazi Inam Ahmed and Sheikh Sohel (Khulna), Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel (Sylhet), Anwarul Islam (Rangpur), Alamgir Khan Alo (Barishal).

Who are going to contest as club councillors: Nazmul Hassan (Abahani), Gazi Golam Mortaza (Gazi Group Cricketers), Mahbub Ul Alam (Mohammedan), Nazib Ahmed (Sheikh Jamal), Masuduzzaman (Mohammedan), Obed Rashid Nizam (Shinepukur), Saiful Islam Bhuyian (Old DOHS), Salah Uddin Chowdhury (Kakrail Sporting Club), Ismail Haider Mallick (Sheikh Jamal Cricketers), Enayed Hossain (Azad Sporting Club), Fahim Sinha (Surjya Tarun), Iftekhar Rahman (Fear Fighters Sporting Club), Monjur Kader (Dhaka Assets), Mohammad Abdur Rahman (Mirpur Boys), Rafiqul Islam (Gazi Tyers), and Monjur Alam (Asif Shifa Cricket Academy).