No legal bar on Tamim-led BCB committee activities: HC

The High Court on Thursday cleared the way for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) ad hoc committee, led by Tamim Iqbal, to continue its activities.

The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice AFM Saiful Karim dropped from its cause list a writ petition seeking a stay on the formation of the 11-member ad hoc committee after the dissolution of the elected BCB board.

The court, however, said the petitioners would be free to move the petition before another bench.

Following the order, there is no legal bar on the Tamim-led committee carrying out its activities or holding the BCB election on June 7, BCB lawyer Barrister Mahin M Rahman told The Daily Star.

He said the court dropped the petition from its cause list as it found no merit in passing an order.

On April 7, the National Sports Council (NSC) dissolved the BCB board led by Aminul Islam Bulbul and formed the ad-hoc committee headed by Tamim.

Challenging the legality of the decision, Aminul Islam, Faruque Ahmed and 10 others filed the writ petition. In the petition, Aminul identified himself as the then BCB president, Faruque as vice-president and the others as directors.

The petition sought a rule asking why the April 7 decision and all actions taken under it should not be declared illegal and without lawful authority. It also sought a stay on the ad-hoc committee’s activities pending disposal of the rule.

The respondents included the Youth and Sports Secretary, National Sports Council officials, the BCB secretary, the BCB chief election commissioner, and the ICC chief executive officer, among others.

The Tamim-led committee includes former cricketers Minhajul Abedin and Athar Ali Khan alongside several former BCB directors, including Prime Bank chairman Tanzil Chowdhury and Ispahani Limited chairman Mirza Salman Ispahani.

Earlier, on May 11, another HC bench dismissed a separate writ filed by seven Supreme Court lawyers challenging the legality of the same ad-hoc committee.

Senior lawyer Fida M Kamal appeared for the petitioners, while Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Barrister Mahin M Rahman represented the state and the BCB during Thursday’s hearing.