Bulbul bins Dipon’s graft claims as ‘personal opinion’

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam Bulbul has strongly rejected recent corruption allegations made by board director Adnan Rahman Dipon, calling them baseless and purely personal.

Speaking at a media workshop jointly organised by the BCB and the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday, Bulbul responded to Dipon’s explosive remarks aired on a private television channel, in which the director claimed that “more corruption has occurred in the last six months than in the previous 15 years.”

“Those are his completely personal opinions,” Bulbul said. “I am defending that right – everyone is entitled to their personal view. But I do not accept those allegations, and we are not engaged in any such wrongdoing.”

Dipon, who serves on the BCB council under Bulbul’s leadership, had alleged, “As a board director, I can say with 100% certainty that Papon’s 15 years of corruption has been replicated in just the last six months. It was beyond imagination. Had people not seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have believed it.”

Bulbul acknowledged ongoing audits into past irregularities, referencing long-standing systemic issues: “A system ran for 15 years where even 90 runs were conceded in a single over. We bought several truckloads of pitch soil, yet there’s no trace of it today. All those matters are now under audit.”

However, he firmly denied any fresh misconduct under his administration. “Whatever happened in the past is being reviewed, but I categorically reject the suggestion that corruption has accelerated in the last six months.”

Bulbul assumed the presidency in May 2025 following the removal of predecessor Faruk Ahmed – whose nine-month tenure ended amid mounting criticism after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Bulbul was later re-elected in October 2025.

The BCB has not launched any new internal investigation in response to Dipon’s claims, maintaining that current oversight mechanisms are sufficient.