A senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official’s comment calling former captain Tamim Iqbal “an Indian agent” has drawn criticism from players in the country. Tamim, one of Bangladesh’s leading openers, had advised the BCB not to be driven by emotion while deciding on the national team’s participation in the T20 World Cup in India. Nazmul, chairman of the BCB finance committee, made the remark in a Facebook post.
“This time, the people of Bangladesh witnessed, with their own eyes, the emergence of yet another proven Indian agent,” he wrote. The post received immediate backlash from former and current cricketers, including Taskin Ahmed, Mominul Haque, and Taijul Islam. The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) also expressed concern. “A comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal has come to the attention of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh. We are stunned, shocked, and outraged by it. Such a remark by a board official about the most successful opener in Bangladesh’s history, who represented the country for 16 years, is utterly condemnable.” “Not only because it concerns a player like Tamim, but such comments about any cricketer of the country are unacceptable and insulting to the entire cricketing community,” the players’ body said in a statement. The 36-year-old Tamim played 70 Tests, 243 ODIs, and 78 T20 Internationals for Bangladesh. “We strongly protest against this comment. When a responsible board director makes such remarks on a public platform, it also raises serious questions about the code of conduct of board officials,” CWAB said. “We have already submitted a protest letter to the BCB president, demanding a public apology from the concerned board director and that he be brought under accountability. We hope the BCB president will take appropriate action as soon as possible,” the statement added. Bangladesh had written to the International Cricket Council requesting their T20 World Cup games be moved out of India after the BCCI asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the 2026 edition. “Cricket is the life of Bangladesh. A recent comment surrounding a former national captain who has made a major contribution to the game has caused many to reflect,” said pacer Taskin. “I believe that such remarks directed at a former cricketer of the country are not helpful in the interest of Bangladesh cricket. I hope the concerned authorities will consider the matter seriously and adopt a more responsible stance in the future,” he added. In 2007, Tamim’s half-century had helped Bangladesh eliminate India from the ODI World Cup in the Caribbean. Former Bangladesh captain Mominul said Nazmul’s remarks were unacceptable. “The comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal is completely unacceptable and insulting to the country’s cricketing community. Such behaviour towards a cricketer is in direct conflict with the board’s responsibility and ethics,” Mominul said. “A senior cricketer was not given even the minimum respect; instead, he was deliberately humiliated in public. Such remarks show a lack of even basic decorum regarding where and how to speak while holding such a high responsibility. “I strongly condemn this comment and firmly demand a public apology from the concerned director and that he be brought under accountability. I call upon the BCB to take swift and strict action,” he added.
