Mashrafee to contest nat’l polls: minister

Bangladesh one-day international skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza hit the headline for an unexpected reason on Tuesday after planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal informed that he would contest in the upcoming national elections.
Kamal made the announcement while talking to the reporters after a meeting of the executive committee of the national economic council at planning commission at Agargaon.
Kamal, a former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, however, did not elaborate which political party Mashrafee would belong during the elections, scheduled later this year. 
While describing a rail-line project between Modhuklhali and Magura, approved by the ECNEC on the day, Kamal suddenly
informed that Mashrafee would compete in the forthcoming national parliamentary polls.
Answering a question if Mashrafee could take part in the elections in favour of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Kamal did not rule out the possibility completely and asked people to vote for the cricketer irrespective of his party affiliation.
‘I know he is a good soul’, he said.
‘During my election campaign many cricketers, including former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan, visited my constituency, he said.
When contacted by New Age, Mashrafee refrained from making any comment.
‘No idea seriously,’ said Mashrafee, who is a contracted player of the BCB until December this year and is expected to lead the national team in World Cup 2019. 
Answering another question whether another cricketing icon Sakib al Hasan should take part in the election, Kamal replied in positive.
‘Sakib has grown older, he said, adding that everybody should help both Sakib and Mashrafee during the election,’ he said.  

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net