Aminul Denies Letter Despite Fund Freeze Appeal

Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam has publicly denied sending a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) seeking the suspension of the BCB’s funding, despite the existence of a signed document requesting the governing body to withhold financial support until his elected board is reinstated.

The controversy intensified on Friday after a video statement by Aminul circulated widely on social media. In the video, he rejected allegations published in sections of the media, insisting that he had never written to the ICC requesting the suspension of the BCB’s funds.

“I never sent such a letter,” Aminul said in the video message. “Why would I do that? We all love Bangladesh cricket. Besides, why would the ICC listen to me? I no longer have the influence or connections within the ICC that I once had.”

His remarks, however, appear to conflict with the contents of a letter bearing his signature, a copy of which has been obtained by local media. The document reportedly asks the ICC to freeze all financial assistance to the BCB until the elected board headed by Aminul is restored or the dispute over the board’s leadership is resolved through the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) and Bangladesh’s domestic courts.

According to the letter, Aminul requested that all ICC funds currently due or payable to the Bangladesh Cricket Board be placed in escrow or withheld until three conditions are met: the reinstatement of the elected board, a final decision by the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee, and the conclusion of legal proceedings currently underway in Bangladesh.

The document also urges the ICC not to release any funds to individuals claiming authority over the BCB based on the board election held on 7 June 2026.

A second major request outlined in the letter calls on the ICC to issue a formal warning to the Government of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council.

In the letter, Aminul argues that the election conducted through what he describes as a politically manipulated voter list by an “illegally constituted ad hoc committee” constitutes a serious breach of Articles 2.4(c) and 2.4(d) of the ICC Constitution. He further requests the ICC to declare that it does not recognise the board elected on 7 June as the BCB’s legitimate governing authority.

The letter also asks the ICC to demand the immediate restoration of the previously elected board. It goes on to urge the world governing body to warn that failure to comply within a specified timeframe could lead to sanctions under Article 2.10(a) of the ICC Constitution. Those measures, according to the document, could include suspension of the BCB’s full ICC membership, the withholding of ICC funding and the exclusion of Bangladesh from ICC tournaments.

The dispute centres on the governance of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, where questions over administrative authority have become the subject of legal and institutional challenges. The ICC has strict rules regarding political interference in the affairs of its member boards and has previously taken action against several cricket nations when it determined that government involvement compromised the independence of national cricket administrations.

Aminul’s public denial, alongside the reported contents of the signed letter, has raised fresh questions about the ongoing dispute and the conflicting narratives surrounding the BCB’s leadership crisis. At the time of reporting, there has been no official response from the ICC regarding the requests outlined in the document or Aminul’s subsequent remarks.

The issue is expected to remain under close scrutiny, as any ICC decision concerning the governance of the Bangladesh Cricket Board could have significant implications for the country’s cricket administration, international participation and financial support.