As part of the “Mujib Year” celebrations in 2020–21, various sports federations organized events, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was no exception. However, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has alleged massive financial irregularities under the guise of these celebrations.
At around 12 PM today, ACC officials arrived at the BCB office and conducted a raid that lasted for over an hour. In a press briefing following the operation, ACC Assistant Directors Al Amin and Mahmudul Hasan clarified the basis of their investigation.
That’s when the issue of embezzlement during the Mujib Centenary celebrations came to light. Assistant Director Mahmudul Hasan stated that it is initially estimated that around BDT 19 crore (190 million) was misappropriated, though the amount may increase.
He said, “There is an anomaly in the reported expenses of the Mujib 100 program. For example, they reported spending BDT 25 crore on events including a concert, but in reality, the cost was only around BDT 7 crore. That means nearly BDT 19 crore is unaccounted for—essentially misappropriated. We’ve requested documents from the finance department. Even the BDT 2 crore earned from ticket sales was not shown as income. The actual allocation was BDT 15 crore, but they reported spending BDT 25 crore, while the real expenditure was only BDT 7 crore.”
The ACC is also looking into irregularities in other sectors beyond the Mujib Year programs, including ticket sales for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Assistant Director Al Amin added, “Another issue we’re investigating involves ticket sales. From the third to the tenth season of the BPL (8 seasons), BCB reported a total income of BDT 15 crore. Yet in the most recent season alone, the income was BDT 13 crore. This time, when BCB sold tickets directly, the revenue shot up. How can there be such a massive discrepancy—15 crore over 8 seasons, and nearly the same in just one season? We are collecting records to analyze and review these anomalies.”
