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Published : 15 Jan 2026, 12:33 AM
The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) has demanded the resignation of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director M Najmul Islam over what it describes as “offensive and unacceptable” remarks about cricketers.
The organisation has threatened to halt all cricket matches if he does not step down before the start of Thursday’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match.
CWAB president Md Mithun made the announcement during an online press conference on Wednesday night.
“For the past few days, you have all seen how a board director has been making comments about cricketers,” Mithun said.
“A serving board director cannot speak about players in this manner. We are demanding his immediate resignation. If he does not resign before the first BPL match [Thursday], we will announce a complete shutdown of all forms of cricket.”
Najmul, who also chairs the BCB’s finance committee, has been at the centre of controversy after recently referring to former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal as an “Indian agent”, a remark that triggered widespread criticism.
His subsequent comments to the media over the past few days have further fuelled the backlash.
On Wednesday, responding to a question about whether players would be compensated if Bangladesh failed to qualify for the World Cup, Najmul said: “If they go and fail to do anything, are we asking them to return the billions of taka we are spending on them?”
When told that cricketers are the backbone of the cricket board, he reportedly responded by asking whether cricketers would even exist without the board.
The remarks sparked a strong reaction on social media, prompting the BCB to issue a statement expressing regret on Wednesday night.
The board said the comments did not reflect its official position and reiterated its full support for current and former cricketers.
The statement added that any comments that disrespect players or damage the image and integrity of Bangladesh cricket would be dealt with appropriately.
However, CWAB made it clear that the BCB’s response was insufficient.
About half an hour after the statement was issued, Mithun said during the press conference that the players’ organisation was not satisfied, and their only demand is Najmul’s resignation.
