CWAB elections set for September 4

The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) has announced that its election will be held on September 4, with preparations already underway. As first reported by Cricbuzz, CWAB has formed a three-member election commission, chaired by Iftikhar Rahman Mithu, with former national captain Habibul Bashar and ex-wicketkeeper Nasir Ahmed Nasu serving as members. The commission will oversee the entire process in line with CWAB's regulations.

The announcement followed a crucial meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, attended by several current and former cricketers, aimed at reviving and restructuring the players' body. "We've held a CWAB meeting and decided that the election will be held on September 4," said Selim Shahed, a member of CWAB's ad-hoc committee. "The meeting also discussed the entire process-from membership enrollment to nomination form collection and submission. All election tasks will begin soon."

Selim added that CWAB now has a permanent office at the SBNS, addressing a long-standing demand. He clarified that the space was allocated by the NSC and not directly by the BCB. The new space will serve as CWAB's official address for all operational and registration-related work.

"We've secured a permanent space for CWAB inside SBNS, something that had been missing for years," he said, thanking the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council (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."

Selim confirmed that all players registered with the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) since 1975 will be eligible to become lifetime members with voting rights. In addition, current and former national and first-class players listed as permanent CWAB members will also be able to vote. However, any CWAB member who holds a formal position in the BCB will be disqualified from voting to avoid a conflict of interest.

"BCB directors or employees cannot vote," Selim said. "If any CWAB member later joins BCB, they will have to resign from one of the two roles." This clause is particularly significant given past concerns - most notably when Naimur Rahman simultaneously held the CWAB presidency and a BCB directorship.

Selim emphasized that CWAB's renewed commitment is focused on ensuring the welfare of cricketers across all stages of 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 acknowledged that many players still face payment issues during tournaments, often due to improper 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 said.

CWAB also plans to establish training centers to help retired players skill up in areas like coaching or journalism. "The idea is to help them stay active and engaged post-retirement - no one should be left unemployed after cricket," Selim said, adding they are working on a three-tier structure to represent current, recently retired, and long-retired players.

Former national batter Mohammad Mithun, who has been actively involved in recent discussions, said that current players are taking on more 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 stressed that the upcoming election is an opportunity for players to choose 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."

There is growing speculation that Tamim Iqbal could be a contender for the CWAB presidency, though nothing has been confirmed officially.