Bangladesh Cricketers' Welfare Association Election Set for September 4 Revival

The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) is set to hold its elections on September 4, marking a significant step towards revitalizing the organization. Preparations are already underway.

The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh has announced that its election will be held on September 4 © Cricbuzz

As previously reported, a three-member election commission has been established to oversee the process. The commission is headed by Iftikhar Rahman Mithu, with former national captain Habibul Bashar and ex-wicketkeeper Nasir Ahmed Nasu serving as members. Their role is to ensure the election adheres to CWAB's regulations.

The election announcement follows a meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS), where current and former cricketers gathered to discuss reviving and restructuring the players' association.

Selim Shahed, a member of CWAB's ad-hoc committee, stated, "We've held a CWAB meeting and decided that the election will be held on September 4. The meeting also covered the entire process, from membership enrollment to nomination form collection and submission. All election-related activities will commence shortly."

Shahed also announced that CWAB has secured a permanent office at the SBNS, fulfilling a long-held requirement. He clarified that the space was allocated by the National Sports Council (NSC) and not directly by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). This new office will serve as the official headquarters for all of CWAB's operations and registration activities.

"We've secured a permanent space for CWAB inside SBNS, something that had been missing for years," Shahed said, expressing gratitude to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the NSC, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for their support. "The office was allocated by the NSC under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. CWAB will continue to operate independently. Also, CWAB is not a trade union - it's a welfare association for cricketers."

Regarding eligibility, Shahed confirmed that all players registered with the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) since 1975 are eligible for lifetime membership with voting rights. Furthermore, current and former national and first-class players listed as permanent CWAB members will also be eligible to vote.

However, to avoid potential conflicts of interest, any CWAB member holding a formal position within the BCB will be ineligible to vote.

"BCB directors or employees cannot vote," Shahed explained. "If any CWAB member later joins BCB, they will have to resign from one of the two roles." This provision is particularly noteworthy, recalling past concerns, such as when Naimur Rahman simultaneously held the CWAB presidency and a BCB directorship.

Shahed emphasized CWAB's renewed commitment to the welfare of cricketers throughout their careers. "Everything we're doing is for the benefit of cricketers. The biggest issue earlier was not having a fixed address - now that's resolved. We're moving forward, slowly but surely."

He also acknowledged the ongoing issue of delayed payments to players during tournaments, often stemming from inadequate or missing contracts. "One of our key focuses is to ensure that proper contracts are in place and that players get their dues on time," he stated.

CWAB is also planning to establish training centers to assist retired players in developing skills in areas such as coaching or journalism. "The idea is to help them stay active and engaged post-retirement - no one should be left unemployed after cricket," Shahed said, adding that they are developing a three-tier structure to represent current, recently retired, and long-retired players.

Mohammad Mithun, a former national batter actively involved in recent discussions, noted that current players are taking greater responsibility. "In the past, no current player was involved with CWAB. We used to trust the leadership, thinking they would work in our best interest. That hope kept us going for a long time - but eventually, we suffered due to that reliance," Mithun said. "Now, players from all regions and divisions have come forward. We want to work directly, take responsibility ourselves. If cricket doesn't move forward, we - the players - must own that failure too."

Mithun emphasized that the upcoming election presents an opportunity for players to elect genuine representatives. "That's why current players have decided to get involved directly in CWAB this time. The election is open to everyone - anyone can contest. We will vote for whomever we believe is the right person to represent us."

Speculation is mounting that Tamim Iqbal may be a candidate for the CWAB presidency, though no official confirmation has been made.