After the recent investigations into the BPL match-fixing row, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been working closely with the government to introduce a new law to criminalize the offence of match-fixing.
Recently, after the new interim government of Bangladesh took over, the BCB President also took charge of the match-fixing issues in the domestic T20 tournament within the country. The BPL has faced many such issues in recent times.
Previously, an investigation committee identified several unusual events in the previous season. Several incidents marked suspicious patterns of bowling and batting. Several players were found bowling wides and delivering several questionable balls in order to alter match outcomes.
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BCB pushes Bangladesh government for match-fixing criminal offence
Most of the cricketers who were found involved were all above 35, and hence, their return to international cricket seemed very unlikely, yet they have a long shadow over their careers. The investigation’s likely accused players, team officials and everyone else who were involved in the events are to be barred from cricket.
The BCB is working closely with the government of Bangladesh and is looking forward to a law being introduced against match-fixing and making it a criminal offence in the country, so that anyone found guilty of being involved in such events can be convicted under the law.
The BCB integrity counsel, Mahim M. Rahman, went on to say that the BPL governing council barred nine cricketers from this year’s BPL auction, based on the 900-page report over match-fixing and corruption within the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
BCB is looking to establish a legal framework
Also, in an exclusive interview, Rahman had further claimed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board has made plans to directly engage with government lawmaking authorities in order to form a distinct and clear legal framework.
“In several countries, including Sri Lanka, it has been criminalized, and it has been done very specifically in relation to cricket. They have criminalized it in a way that directly targets cricket,” he said.
The legislation that has been proposed would stay under penal law, and courts can use it to convict people, but it would exist as a separate statute and would not be incorporated into the Penal Code of Bangladesh.
Plans to be executed after the Bangladesh general elections
After the current accused had to be lodged under different sections of the Anti-Corruption Code breach and the Gambling Act, Raman feels that the lack of a single law has complicated the process of enforcement.
“That would give the whole system a structure,” said Rahman. “All of it will come under one single law, and we are working on that.” Recently, online gambling was also banned in India, and an effort to criminalize such activities has been gaining interest from the public.
He also informed that final decisions shall only be made after formal discussions with the government, which shall be conducted only after an elected government takes over after the Bangladesh general election, which has been scheduled for the 12th of February.
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