Towhid Hridoy's Suspension and Sharfuddoula's Ongoing Role with BCB: Latest Updates

The BCB umpires department has realized their mistake. ICC elite umpire Sharfuddaula Ibn Shaheed has backed down from his decision to quit the BCB.

The CCDM technical committee is being reorganized. Mohammedan captain Towhid Hridoy, who was exempted from the one-match ban, is also being enforced again.

The unrest that arose over the reduction of Towhid Hridoy's punishment in the Dhaka Premier Cricket League is expected to subside after Sharfuddaula and Umpires Committee Head Iftekhar Rahman met at the BCB office this afternoon.

Sharfuddaula has already submitted his resignation to the BCB, but sources said that he has agreed to withdraw it after today's meeting.

After the meeting, Umpires Committee Head Iftekhar Rahman told Prothom Alo, "We tried to explain the whole matter to Saikat. He has moved away from his position.’

When asked why the umpires’ department did what it did in Hridoy’s case, even though it has no jurisdiction to waive or reduce anyone’s punishment, he said, ‘We made a mistake. The process was wrong.’ According to the rules, only the CCDM or the CCDM’s technical committee can decide on the reduction or waiver of punishment.

Former umpire and former national team cricketer Enamul Haque had earlier resigned from the post of convener of the CCDM’s technical committee over the incident of reducing Hridoy’s punishment.

Iftekhar Rahman said that BCB director Nazmul Abedin will now take over as the head of the technical committee, ‘We are reorganizing the technical committee. Fahim Bhai (Nazmul Abedin) will be its head. The technical committee will now look into Hridoy’s matter.’

An attempt was made to speak to Sharfuddaula to find out about today’s meeting, but he did not pick up the phone.

According to a source in the board, after facing heavy criticism for going beyond the rules and reducing Hridoy's ban, the BCB is now going to give Towhid Hridoy a new one-match ban.

The technical committee of the CCDM is going to take the decision as per the rules. The Mohammedan captain may be banned for one match by overturning the decision of the umpires' department to reduce the punishment. Mohammedan still has two matches left in the Super League.

Mohammedan captain Hridoy was banned for one match on charges of misbehaving with the umpire in a match against Abahani in Mirpur on April 12. 4 demerit points were added to his name, along with a fine of Tk 80,000. Mohammedan pacer Ibadat Hossain was also fined Tk 40,000 in the same incident.

Despite receiving this punishment, Hridoy told the media after the match, "If the incident goes the other way, I will open my mouth, God willing." After his comments, his punishment was increased and he was banned for two matches. Although the match referee could have banned Towhid Hridoy for two matches for demerit points, he was somehow given a reprieve instead.

But Mohammedan and Hridoy did not accept the two-match ban. Hridoy did not play in the match against Legends of Rupganj in Mirpur on April 17, but played against Agrani Bank at BKSP on April 20. However, according to the ban, he was supposed to be off the field in that match too.

Mohammedan appealed to the CCDM to reduce Hridoy's punishment. But when the technical committee did not respond to the application, the BCB Umpires Committee was forced to reduce Towhid Hridoy's punishment under pressure from Mohammedan. The process was completely illegal because the BCB Umpires Department has no jurisdiction to decide on reducing the punishment.