Sports adviser Asif Mahmud visits Mirpur stadium
After assuming responsibility for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Interim Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan summoned the top officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Several BCB directors, along with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), met with him at that time. Today, Asif Mahmud visited the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, where he toured the BCB offices and inspected the stadium’s infrastructure.
Last night, it was announced that Asif Mahmud would be visiting Mirpur Stadium for the first time since taking on his new role. His personal press secretary confirmed this through a statement around 11:30 AM today. Asif Mahmud arrived at the stadium around 1 PM, where a crowd had already gathered to welcome him. Among them was a group of students holding placards.
Inside the BCB conference room, Asif Mahmud engaged in discussions with several officials, including BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, former national team captain Tamim Iqbal, his older brother and Assistant Manager of Cricket Operations Nafis Iqbal, former captain Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees, and Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) Secretary Debabrata Paul, among others. Following the discussions, Asif Mahmud toured the stadium’s facilities and met with the national women’s cricket team.
Asif Mahmud, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has raised hopes for positive changes in the sports sector since taking charge of the Youth and Sports Ministry. Students, in particular, have expressed their excitement, with many showing up at Mirpur today to greet him. Their placards read messages such as “BCB directors must resign,” “Beware of BCB’s lackeys,” and “How long will corruption continue in cricket?”
Tamim Iqbal accompanied Asif Mahmud throughout the visit, guiding the sports adviser and showing him various parts of the stadium. After the inspection, Asif Mahmud stated, “After taking on this new responsibility, I have been visiting various facilities under our sports ministry. I was supposed to visit BKSP today, but couldn’t. However, I did visit the Sports Directorate and BCB.”
He added, “I wanted to see the current state of the infrastructure, and I toured the facilities thoroughly. I also met with the women’s cricket team, who will soon be playing in the T20 World Cup. I’ve noted the areas that need improvement, and I hope we can address these issues moving forward.”
