DHAKA, Aug 2024 (BSS)-Newly elected Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president 
Faruque Ahmed said his first and foremost task would be to take the country's 
cricket forward.

"The goal is big. We have to work together to take the country's cricket 
forward," he said here today while addressing the media. 

"We have to work in many areas. As you know the work has been done for a long 
time but there are many questions. We have to address those issues. We want 
to move forward as a country and as a cricketing nation. The task would be 
easier if we consider ourselves as a team and if we give our team a top 
priority without prioritizing the individuals. Let's not be diverted," he 
added.

Faruque Ahmed is the first former cricketer to be elected as board president 
after Nazmul Hassan Papon stepped down from his post in an emergency meeting 
today. 

Eight board directors were present in the meeting, held at the conference 
room of the Youth and Sports Ministry. Faruque Ahmed and Nazmul Abedin Fahim 
replaced Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby as the NSC nominated 
directors for the Cricket Board. 

As Papon resigned from his role, the directors who present in the meeting, 
exercised their vote to elect Faruque as the president as per BCB 
constitution.

Faruque, also a former skipper, who led the side in the ICC trophy in 1994, 
served BCB as the chief selector twice -firstly from 2003-2007. During his 
first tenure, he unleashed the cricketing talents like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim 
Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, who made the Bangladesh cricket a giant.

He later served the board as chief selector again in 2013-2016 but resigned 
from his post after the then BCB president Papon formed a two-tier selection 
panel that gave the head coach Chandika Hathurusingha an unnecessary power to 
interfere in selection process.

Faruque vowed that he will give everyone the freedom to work independently 
after his bitter experience in the board. But at the same time, he cautioned 
that everyone will be questionable for their work.

"I can assure you that I won't interfere in anyone's work. But every one will 
be under tight scrutiny for what they have done. We will give everyone time 
for a bigger success but if not the success comes, you have to be responsible 
for this. As a president I can give some suggestion but that's not that the 
concerned person will have to value it," he added. 

"I want the cricket team to brighten the image of the country. Let's not just 
stick with small things. We have to plan for a bigger goal. I can't change 
everything overnight. I even don't know how long I will be here. But cricket 
will be first priority."

Faruque said he want to build a system through which there will be no scope 
to do any corruption.

"I resigned from the BCB, protesting about the corrupted system. We'll look 
after that but you can't uproot the corruption practice in overnight. We have 
to build a system, we have to execute a plan through which there will be no 
opportunity to do any corruption."

Asked where he wants to see Bangladesh cricket as per ICC rankings, Faruque 
said, "As I said earlier, I want cricket to stand tall. It's not that I will 
happy with a sudden success. If we play five tight matches and then win sixth 
and seventh matches, I will consider it success."