BCB mulling move to criminalise fixing

Bangla Press Desk:  Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam said that the board will discuss in its next meeting whether to approach the government to make match-fixing a criminal offence.

Aminul made the remarks to the Daily Sun after being asked about the board’s stance on match-fixing, following the latest development in the cricketing fraternity that saw the Indian cricket authorities take a legal step to criminalise fixing.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the world’s richest cricket board, has filed a petition with the country’s Supreme Court, urging it to recognise match-fixing as a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The BCCI argued that “the act of match-fixing constitutes a criminal offence,” describing it as a form of cheating by deception.

“The prevalence of corrupt practices in cricket matches has an adverse impact on the game and undermines the integrity of the sport,” the BCCI said in documents filed with the court registrar on October 14, as reported by AFP.

Aminul said the BCB would first need to reach an agreement in principle before taking a similar route, as such a move would require vetting and approval in parliament.

“I think we need to do a vetting in parliament (whether fixing can be considered a criminal offence or not), and we need to take a decision in this regard in the board,” said Aminul.

“In our next board meeting on November 2, though it’s not on the agenda, we will surely discuss the matter — especially as we will be receiving the report from the investigators regarding match-fixing issues in the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL),” he added.

Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful was banned for eight years after being found guilty of involvement in match-fixing in the domestic Twenty20 competition in 2013. Following that incident, the BPL was postponed for one season. Although the tournament managed to recover in subsequent years, allegations of fixing have again been linked with the competition in recent editions.

Match-fixing is not explicitly defined as a criminal offence under Bangladesh’s Penal Code, creating a legal loophole that allows offenders to avoid prosecution. However, those found guilty can still face disciplinary action under the rules of their respective sports federations and, in some cases, be charged with related offences such as fraud or cheating.

BP/SP