'The first and most important duty is to move cricket forward'

The recent change in government has significantly impacted the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Two days ago, Jalal Yunus, head of the cricket operations department, resigned from his director position. Today, in an emergency board meeting, Nazmul Hassan Papon stepped down as BCB president. Former national team captain and chief selector Faruque Ahmed has been elected as the new president.

After taking on this important responsibility, Faruque shared his vision for the future of Bangladesh cricket. Before addressing the media at a 3 p.m. press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, he outlined his goals in a video posted on the BCB's official Facebook page. He stated that his top priority is to advance the nation's cricket and bring pride to the country.

Faruque said, "The goal is very big. The first and foremost goal is to increase the country's honor. I want to see the team in a good place, and achieving that will require significant effort across many areas."

Reflecting on the previous board's work, Faruque added, "Many things have been done, some not done, and there are questions about that. Our primary duty is to advance cricket and take the country forward. If we focus on Bangladesh and the national cricket team, our work will become easier. We must not stray from this mission."

With Papon's resignation, his 12-year tenure as BCB president has ended. He was appointed to the position in 2012 and elected in October 2013. Faruque has now taken over as president, having been nominated by the National Sports Council (NSC).

Faruque, a former batsman, joined the BCB shortly after retiring from cricket. He served two terms as chief selector—from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2013 to 2016, following Akram Khan.