Kolkata, Aug 21 (IANS): The change in government in Bangladesh seems to have brought in a change in guard at the helm of the country's cricket board with Faruque Ahmed, a former national cricketer and chief selector, elected as the President. It was claimed in various reports on Wednesday that Faruque Ahmed has replaced Nazmul Hassan as the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Hasan was also the country's sports minister since January.

Hassan, who was close to the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina and serving his fourth term as BCB chief, is reportedly hiding with his family in London since the unrest in the country started, triggered by the student protests against the recently dissolved government. It was informed in the BCB directors' meeting that he has resigned as President, though there is no independent confirmation of the news.

Reports claimed that Faruque was elected BCB president during a board meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday. Faruque is the first BCB president who has played any competitive cricket. He joined the BCB directors' meeting after the National Sports Council (NSC) nominated him and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim as their directors on the board.

Faruque has played seven ODIs for Bangladesh and has previously served as chief selector of Bangladesh for two terms from 2003 to 2007 and from 2013 to 2016.

The reports said that he had resigned without completing his second term as chief selector because he was not ready to accept the expansion of the three-member selection panel.

The National Sports Council (NSC) has also replaced incumbent directors Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam. During the meeting, one of the BCB's signatories was changed from Ismail Haider Mallick to Fahim Sinha. Mallick was considered Hassan's closest ally in the board, and the most powerful director. He was the finance committee chair, marketing committee vice-chair, and secretary of the BPL governing council.