'It went beyond fixing': Former cricketer sounds off on BCB poll 'manipulation'

Former cricketer Debabrata Pal, a losing candidate in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections, has alleged widespread government interference and manipulation in the voting process. Struggling to hold back tears, Debabrata, who secured just seven votes in the race for director in Category-3, said: “It feels like I didn’t even get the vote that I cast for myself. The election was completely manipulated.” After the results were announced, he vented his frustration, accusing the government of exerting heavy influence over the polls, which saw former national captain Khaled Mashud elected as director with 35 votes. Mashud had been nominated by the BCB under the former cricketers’ quota, while Debabrata represented Jahangirnagar University. Despite acknowledging before the election that he did...