Lutfar Rahman Badal, chairman of Legends of Rupganj, has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election, only hours after expressing his excitement about the polls earlier on Friday.
Badal spoke to the media in the afternoon at the BCB headquarters, sharing his enthusiasm for the election. However, by midnight, a statement from his camp confirmed his decision to pull out of the race — a dramatic turnaround that surprised many in the cricketing circle.
Technically, his name will still appear on the ballot, as the deadline for nomination withdrawal expired last Wednesday afternoon. Despite that, Badal made it clear that he would not participate in the election.
In his statement, the veteran cricket organizer did not directly explain the reasons behind his decision but hinted that he was compelled to withdraw under certain circumstances.
“I, Lutfar Rahman Badal, chairman of Legends of Rupganj, am withdrawing myself from the upcoming BCB election. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone. But if the situation permits in the near future, I will reveal why I had to take this decision,” he said.
“I don’t want to engage in mudslinging. I wish all the best to those who will be elected as directors. But I must say — if this election had been held with multiple panels, it would have been a milestone. I thank everyone who stood by me throughout,” added he.
Earlier, on the final day of nomination withdrawal, star cricketer Tamim Iqbal and 15 other candidates had formally pulled out of the race, alleging heavy government interference in the election process.
With Badal’s withdrawal, the competitive spirit of the election has faded further. In Category-2, which represents the clubs, only 15 candidates now remain in contention for 12 director positions — reducing what was expected to be a lively contest to a mere formality.
