BCB threatens legal action

Former interim government Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan had claimed in a Facebook post that the current board administration had removed the name “Shaheed Abu Sayeed Stand” from the Mirpur Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The stand was named in memory of the martyrs of the July uprising. However, an inquiry found that no such incident had actually taken place. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has now issued an official statement on the matter.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Asif Mahmud wrote, “After August 5, we named a gallery at Mirpur Stadium in honor of Shaheed Abu Sayeed. The new government’s illegal BCB president has removed it. Thank you knew government, Napokidgan and the new president.”Following this, the BCB said in a press release on Thursday afternoon, “BCB would like to make it explicitly clear that the Board has made no decision to change or remove the name ‘Shaheed Abu Sayeed Stand’ or any other stand at Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium or any other international venue in the country. It should be noted that all official stand names are clearly mentioned at international and domestic cricket events organized by BCB.”

The statement said, “Since the current Board took charge earlier this year, three international series matches have been held at Mirpur Sher e Bangla. During these matches, the names of all stands including ‘Shaheed Abu Sayeed Stand’ were clearly visible to spectators inside the venue and in television broadcasts. The names of the stands were also included on match tickets and promotional materials for the events.”All official stand names are clearly mentioned at international and domestic cricket events organized by the BCB.

The BCB said, “It is also worth noting that signboards bearing the names of stands at Mirpur Sher e Bangla Stadium and other venues may become damaged from time to time and may be temporarily removed as part of regular maintenance. Such maintenance is always carried out on non-match days. BCB named a stand in recognition of the sacrifice and contribution of Shaheed Abu Sayeed during the July uprising and there is no room for confusion or speculation on this matter.”

The BCB also mentioned the possibility of taking legal action against the spread of such false information. “BCB believes that spreading misinformation and false statements about this specific matter on social media platforms is part of a planned attempt aimed at damaging the image and reputation of BCB and the current Board. In accordance with the Board’s policies, BCB reserves the right to take strict and appropriate action against such attempts.”