Bangladesh Cricket Board director and finance committee chairperson Najmul Islam has addressed the widespread backlash following his inflammatory social media post regarding former national opener Tamim Iqbal. The controversy erupted after Najmul publicly labeled the veteran cricketer an “Indian agent” in response to Tamim’s skepticism over the BCB’s push to relocate T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures from India to Sri Lanka.
Najmul Islam’s Justification
Defending his stance, Najmul clarified that his remarks were intended for a private audience and reflected his personal frustration with Tamim’s public statements. He argued that the former captain’s views mirrored external interests rather than national ones.
“It was a private post. I don’t think it went viral. It was the screenshot of my post that was made viral by people, and I don’t know what people ended up gaining from it. I just expressed my personal views. I think in a situation like this, we’re thinking about money and not the country. I don’t have anything against Tamim. I would’ve said this about anyone else. Tamim’s comments were in line with India’s propaganda, and I did not like it,” Najmul told Sports24.
The original post, written in Bengali, was even more direct in its accusation. It stated: “Eibar aaro ekjon porikkhito Bharatiya dalaal er aatyoprokash Banglar jonogon duchokh bhore dekhlo (This time, Bangladesh has witnessed the self-expression of a proven Indian agent).”
Condemnation from CWAB
The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) has issued a stinging rebuke of the director’s behavior. The association expressed deep concern that a board official would target a player who served the nation for nearly two decades with such derogatory language.
Their official statement read: “A comment made by BCB director M. Najmul 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 in the country are unacceptable and insulting to the entire cricketing community.”
Context of the T20 World Cup Standoff
This internal strife comes at a critical time as the ICC has officially requested the BCB to reconsider its demand to move World Cup matches out of India. Despite the governing body’s pressure, the BCB remains firm in its request for a venue change to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. The rift between the board and its former captain highlights a growing divide within the Bangladesh cricketing fraternity regarding diplomatic and logistical decisions ahead of the February tournament.
