Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has publicly criticised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for its handling of Towhid Hridoy’s suspension, calling the board’s actions confusing and deeply concerning for the country’s cricketers.
Speaking to the media following a meeting between national and List-A cricketers and the BCB president, Faruque Ahmed, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Tamim expressed his and his peers’ frustrations over several incidents that have taken place in recent months.
“The reason we have gathered here is because, over the past two to four months, several incidents have occurred that have hurt every single player,” Tamim told reporters. “The main issue today was the situation surrounding Towhid Hridoy.”
Hridoy, who represents Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), was initially handed a two-match suspension following an on-field incident. Tamim said that while players may have personally felt the punishment was harsh, they accepted it without protest.
“None of the players said anything about it. Umpires and the match referee imposed the ban. A few days later, the BCB reduced the suspension to one match. Still, we didn’t react,” Tamim said. “Hridoy missed one game and played the next two. So, he had effectively served his ban. But then, we were suddenly informed yesterday that he has been suspended again. I honestly don’t know under which regulation this was done. It’s quite baffling. How can someone be suspended again after serving the punishment and being cleared to play?”
The veteran opener also raised concerns about the BCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), criticising the public nature of its investigation into a DPL match between Gulshan Cricket Club and Shinepukur. He described it as “insulting” that the names of ten players allegedly under investigation for match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) were leaked to the media, despite there being no formal charges.
Tamim, who was captaining Mohammedan before being sidelined for the season due to a heart attack suffered during a match, said the players have requested the BCB to urgently resolve the Hridoy issue ahead of upcoming fixtures.
“We raised our concerns and made it clear that we are upset,” he added. “We have asked the board to take a quick decision, especially since there’s a match tomorrow. I’m confident they will make a decision swiftly.”
The developments highlight a growing sense of unrest among players over governance and transparency within Bangladesh’s domestic cricket structure.