Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed has addressed recent claims made by director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim regarding a strained working relationship between them.
Fahim, in an interview with Jamuna television, expressed frustration over his inability to work independently due to interference from Faruque, even hinting at resignation. However, Faruque has denied hearing any mention of resignation from Fahim and described the situation as a misunderstanding.
Faruque clarified, "Fahim didn't express any intention to resign. He mentioned that working conditions were challenging, but I never heard him say he wanted to step down. We have spoken about the matter, and I also discussed it with Jamuna TV, where Fahim was present."
The BCB president elaborated on the complexities within the new administration, acknowledging that with Fahim being a new appointee and the majority of the board consisting of members from the previous leadership, it can lead to misunderstandings. "When people refer to the new board, it primarily means Fahim and me, as most others are from the previous administration. With limited personnel and a heavy workload, misunderstandings can arise. Perhaps Fahim felt he couldn’t perform his duties effectively due to these circumstances," Faruque explained.
Faruque also acknowledged external pressures, such as issues with ticketing and an incident in the President’s Box, which contributed to the challenges during that time. He added, “It wasn’t my best day. There might have been things I said that I don’t even remember now. Differences in opinion are natural, and I don’t see any fault in that. However, such matters should ideally be resolved internally.”
Fahim, in his earlier statement, had expressed deep disappointment over the president’s comments, saying, "I don’t want to specify the exact comment, but it left me very disheartened. It made me feel that, at this moment, the cricket board or the president does not have confidence in me." Fahim was surprised by the remark, particularly since it was made in front of several people, including sports ministry officials.
In response, Faruque described the incident as a misunderstanding that could have been resolved through dialogue. He pointed out, "Misconduct is a relative term. If someone punches you, that’s misconduct, but even a small remark can be considered the same. In this case, I might have said something in a loud tone or made a comment that he didn’t like. Sometimes, these things can be resolved through conversation."
