Chaired by BCB president and Deputy Minister for Shipping Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the meeting was attended by all the 29 members of the board. The National Sports Council is yet to name its nominee, who will be the 30th and final member of the board.
``Our primary aim is to get the Test status in the next three years'', said the BCB president Mr. Chowdhury after the meeting. ``To attain that, we have divided our responsibilities into two parts. Firstly, we will be looking to improve the existing grounds and other facilities and secondly, we will be emphasising on coaching and umpiring. We will also be chalking out an effective format for local cricket from the next season,'' added Saber.
The meeting observed a one-minute silence in memory of former Indian Test cricketer Raman Lamba, and former BCB member and Brothers Union Club's joint-secretary Aslam Sardar.
The meeting also finalised Bangladesh's participation in a tri-nation tournament in India from May 11 to 24. Hosts India and ICC trophy runners-up Kenya are the other two nations involved in the round robin tourney.
Selim Abedin Chowdhury of Chittagong, a BCB member, has been nominated as the Tour Manager for the India trip. Gazi Ashraf Hossain will remain as Manager and West Indian Gordon Greenidge as Coach.
Bangladesh will go on a 50-day tour of England, Ireland and Scotland immediately after the India trip. The tour, arranged by the English Cricket Board (ECB), will commence from May 27 and will conclude on July 17.
During the tour, which has been organised as part of Bangladesh's preparation for the 1999 World Cup in England, Bangladesh will play matches against a few Counties, the MCC, and the Irish and Scottish national teams.
The Bangladesh second string will tour Singapore next month to play in a friendly one-day series against the Singapore national team. The winners of the series will receive the Singapore-Bangladesh Friendship Cup. BCB vice-president Ali Khabir Chan has been appointed Manager and member Sheikh Nizamuddin Assistant Manager for the team which will take part in the series as the BCB Eleven.
Besides, the meeting also decided to appoint six Cricket Development Officers in the six divisional head-quarters (zones) immediately.
Furthermore, some important matters related to local cricket competition formats were also finalised in the meeting. All matches of the Premier league will be two-day affairs from the next season while the matches in the national championship will be of three-day duration. The final round of schools cricket will also be held on a two-day basis. Only one foreign player will be allowed to play in a Premier league side from the next season. The board also discussed about the ``national pool'', which consists of about 25 players from amongst whom only four are allowed to be retained by each team, but did not take any decision on the burning topic.