An investigation committee on the then youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul has blamed the then youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul for his decision not to participate in the T20 World Cup in India in February this year.
Bangladesh decided not to go to the World Cup due to security concerns. Later, the tournament was held without Bangladesh.
The 22nd edition of the investigation was published at a press conference at the National Sports Council on Tuesday. Barrister Faisal Dastagir, a member of the investigation committee, said the then youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul played a role in the decision not to go to the World Cup. The government has also been blamed for the decision. He said Bangladesh should have participated in the World Cup.
There was a lot of discussion and protest in the country about Bangladesh’s decision not to go to the World Cup. Later, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports took initiative to investigate the cause of the matter. In March this year, a three-member probe committee was formed to convene additional secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports KM Aliullah. The other two members of the committee were former Jatiya Party captain Habibul Bashar Sumon and lawyer Barrister Faisal Dastagir.
The long-month-month investigation interviews were conducted, including cricketers, BCB officials, coaches and media workers. T20 captain Liton Das and Test captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto were among those who spoke on the occasion. BCB president Tamim Iqbal, former board officer and former general secretary of the Asian Cricket Council Syed Ashraful Haque, BCB chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, then senior assistant coach of the national team Mohammad Salahuddin and former BCB director Nazmul Abedin Fahim were also included in the report.
However, among those accused in the report, the inquiry committee could not take the statement of the then youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul and BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul at that time. The committee said that despite attempts to contact them, they could not be reached.