Mohammad Mithun, a Bangladesh batsman, has been voted as the new president of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), which represents the country’s professional cricketers. Mithun won the election, which took place on Thursday.
For nearly a decade, CWAB was led by former Bangladesh captain Naimur Rahman and Debabrata Pal, who took over during an unauthorised annual general meeting in 2014. However, with the collapse of the previous government and Naimur Rahman’s subsequent absence from public life owing to legal issues, the association was in peril. To restore order, an ad hoc 13-member committee chaired by Selim Shahed convened earlier this year to arrange new elections. The vote marked a watershed moment in the association’s history, as current players took the initiative to shape its future.
The presidential contest was the focal focus of the election, with Mithun competing against former cricketer and current match referee Selim Shahed. Out of 215 eligible voters, 190 cast ballots at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, with Mithun winning by 154 to 34.
Two ballots were declared invalid, making his victory margin of 120 votes reflect the strong confidence players placed in his leadership.
Following his win, Mithun emphasized the need for peace between CWAB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
“I have to look after the interest of the cricketers as I am representing them. CWAB and BCB is like a family and there shouldn’t be any gap there as BCB is like our guardian and we can always raise our demand to our guardian,” Mithun said after being elected as CWAB president as quoted by.
The other positions in the 11-member executive committee were filled unopposed
While the presidential post was closely contested, the rest of the positions in the 11-member executive committee were filled unopposed. Former opener Shahriar Hossain Bidyut became the senior vice-president, and current Bangladesh wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan Sohan was named vice-president. National stars such as Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Akbar Ali, Rumana Ahmed, Shamsur Rahman Shuvo, Irfan Sukkur, Khaled Mashud Pilot, and Imrul Kayes were also elected as executive members.
The election process itself was a momentous occasion, drawing participation from past and present players, including senior names like Tamim Iqbal, who, despite stepping back from a leadership role due to a conflict of interest, was present during the proceedings.
India
