Claims of missing councilors add to chaos in BCB elections

The upcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections continue to spiral into controversy, with new claims emerging about missing councilors, adding to the already volatile environment.

On Tuesday, BCB councilor Mohammad Hasibul Alam alleged that five councilors from Rajshahi -- who are eligible voters but not candidates -- have been missing since September 28, the day of nomination form submissions. According to Hasibul, these councilors left the BCB premises in a white microbus and have remained uncontactable ever since, with their mobile phones switched off and families unable to reach them.

The situation comes amid a writ petition filed against 15 clubs under observation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), further complicating the electoral landscape.

Hasibul's own nomination had initially been rejected by the BCB Election Commission (EC) due to a mismatch in his supporting councilor's signature. However, following an appeal, the EC accepted his nomination on Tuesday after confirming the validity of the signature.

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"The reason my nomination was rejected initially was because the supporting signature did not match the one given during the councilor nomination. It matched his ID card, not the previous form. Thankfully, the EC recognised the ID card signature as valid," Hasibul said during a press briefing.

However, Hasibul expressed serious doubts about receiving fair votes from Rajshahi, citing the disappearance of key councilors.

"I am not very hopeful about receiving fair votes from Rajshahi. On the 27th, when I collected my nomination form, I saw five councilors exiting Mr. Bulbul's room. One of them reluctantly gave me his signature, despite being very familiar with me. Since the 28th, I haven't seen or heard from them," he said.

Hasibul claimed that he had visited one councilor's home in Natore, only to find the family distressed and unaware of his whereabouts.

"Their families are unable to contact them either. I informed the EC in writing that I couldn't reach my signatory. I even went to his house and workplace -- he was nowhere to be found. The whole situation raises concerns about the fairness of the election," he added.

Hasibul pointed fingers at another councilor for allegedly orchestrating the disappearances.

"Mokhlesur Rahman from Chapai Nawabganj is behind this. He's coordinating everything with those missing councilors," Hasibul alleged.

This development raises serious questions -- particularly, if a supporting councilor is missing, how did the EC validate the signature?

In response, The Daily Star reached out to Chief Election Commissioner Advocate Mohammod Hossain, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, for clarification.

"The signatory, Mokhlesur Rahman Roni, didn't attend the hearing, but we verified his signature using his national ID card. The signature matched. Additionally, another candidate and councilor witnessed the signing of Hasibul's form. He couldn't appear in person either but confirmed the event via Zoom," Hossain explained.

Alongside Hasibul, another candidate, SM Abdullah Al Fuad Redwan from Dhaka, also had his nomination accepted on Tuesday following a similar appeal process.

With serious concerns now mounting over voter access, transparency, and possible coercion, the integrity of the upcoming BCB elections appears increasingly under scrutiny.