Mohammad Mithun has said the criticism around the current Bangladesh Cricket Board on social media is coming from a “bot army” and is being done in a planned way.
He made the comment on Friday as debate continues online about the new board led by Tamim Iqbal. Mithun, who is also the president of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh, has faced criticism as well.
The situation follows a major change in the board. The previous board led by Aminul Islam Bulbul was dissolved. Tamim then took charge of the BCB. After that, the issue around the Dhaka League was cleared. The league is now set to start next month.
Mithun spoke about the online criticism. He said, “This is actually a planned matter. There is a group — what we recently heard referred to as a ‘bot army’. Tamim bhai himself spoke about this. These activities are being carried out in a planned way through them.”
He does not think these efforts will work. “I do not think this will be successful. At the end of the day, cricket is an emotional space for the people of Bangladesh. Tamim bhai said on the very first day in his press conference that restoring the image of cricket is his main goal.”
He also spoke about the image of cricketers. “This is a very important issue. The image that cricketers once had is no longer at the same level. Most of us use social media. Many people comment there without fully understanding the situation. If one person makes a negative comment, others often follow without thinking.”
Mithun added, “But many do not consider how reasonable those comments are. This kind of trend is now visible on social media. For many, it is clear that these are being done in a planned way. Still, I do not think this effort will succeed. Because no matter how disappointed people feel, in the end, they return to the ground, watch the game, respect the players, and want to connect with them.”
