The president of Victoria Sporting Club was one of the four candidates vying for the post of vice-presidents on the ticket of pro-establishment panel's Cricket Oykya Porishad. His smiling picture in the four-colour poster in every nook and corner of the National Sport Council (NSC) appeared reassuring hours before 163 councilors were ready to cast their votes.

He was however not aware of the wicked twists on late Friday night where the architect of Cricket Oykya Porishad wrote a new script discarding his name. The whispering turned into a loud chorus as the whole NSC complex gradually turned into a sea of sports organisers, former cricketers, employees of corporate houses and members of students wing of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalists Party.

"I only came to know in the morning that the councilors were told not to vote for me but for someone else. This is absolutely unethical. This is a stab in the back and it also deprived me of a fair chance to fight even as an independent candidate," said Munna, who has been a patron of the game for years and the first person to inject professionalism.

Munna finished sixth among the six contestants with 59 votes. Ironically, Aziz Al Kaiser Titoo, who contested as an independent candidate after being denied a place in the pro-establishment Oykya Porishad panel, won highest 126 votes in an unofficial result announced last night.

Like Munna, Khandoker Jamil Uddin also fell from the grace in the high-voltage election drama involving the four vice-president posts.

Jamil lost a close battle with Golam Rasul Molla. The district forum leader won 85 votes against Jamil's 82. Gazi Golam Dastagir however created the biggest sensation by accounting for 86 votes, the third highest behind BNP lawmaker Shah Nunur Kabir Shaheen (95).

The followers of Titoo brought out a victory procession after a successful campaign of 'vote for 1' -- the slogan that has been labeled on the pocket of his agents and campaigners. The soft-spoken Titoo however dismissed the claim that the Friday night twist has changed his fortune.

"I have contested as an independent candidate. It was a challenge for me and I think the media has played a very important role in my successful campaign," Titoo said after his overwhelming victory.

While Titoo has every reason to be elated, cricket lovers felt embarrassed at the departure of Munna with his heart bleeding.

"It's shame that Munna Bhai has not been elected. It is also a shame that person like Golam Rasul Molla with no credential has been elected as a vice-president," said a councilor without disclosing his name.

"It's the price you pay for loving the game."

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
General secretary: Mahbubul Anam (elected unopposed)
Treasure: Afzalur Rahman Sinha (elected unopposed)
Vice-presidents: Aziz Al Kaiser Titoo (126), Shah Nurul Kabir Shaheen (95), Gazi Golam Dastagir (86), Golam Rasul Molla (85).
Joint secretaries: Rafiqul Islam Babu (123) and Riazuddin Al Mamun (119).
Members: Sailab Hossain Tutul (140), ASM Faruque (123), Mirza Salman Ispahani (121), Asadu-zzaman Khasru (121), MR Siddiqui Lemon (120), Shaheen Aftabur Reza Chowdhury (118), Ahmed Iqbal Hasan (117), Al Fuad Redwan (116), Mizanur Rahman (114), Kabir Ahmed (114), Shahiduzzaman Shahid (114), Kazi Mohiuddin Bulbul (113), Mahmud Jamal (110), Sirajuddin Mohammad Alamgir (109), Abdul Qayum Chowdhury (109), Shamim Kabir (107), Lutfar Rahman Badal (100), Syed Zahid Hossain (100), Syed Farhad Ahmed (95) and Shafiqul Islam (93).