Rubaba named BCB director

Rubaba Dowla, corporate leader and sports organiser, has officially been named a director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), weeks after her selection was first approved following the board elections last month.

The National Sports Council (NSC) on Monday issued a letter confirming her as one of its two nominated directors on the 25-member BCB board, completing the lineup under newly elected president Aminul Islam.

Rubaba’s appointment had been pending since early October due to procedural formalities related to her corporate role.

The newly formed BCB board is expected to hold its upcoming meeting with Rubaba joining as an official director for the first time.

Her nomination replaces that of businessman Isfak Ahsan, whose inclusion in October had drew criticism because of his political affiliation with the Awami League and his participation in the 2024 national election, according to UNB reports.

The NSC’s latest communication stated that Ahsan had “resigned,” paving the way for Rubaba’s formal appointment.

Currently serving as Country Director of Oracle for Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, Rubaba is one of the most prominent women executives in the country’s corporate sector.

Beyond business, she has long been involved in sports administration – leading the Bangladesh Badminton Federation from 2009 to 2015 and serving on the board of Special Olympics Bangladesh.

Her association with cricket dates back to her years at Grameenphone, when the company sponsored the national team between 2003 and 2011. She also played a key role in setting up the National Cricket Academy in Mirpur in 2007 in collaboration with the BCB.