A BCB official has stirred controversy by terming Tamim as "an Indian agent".
A senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official has stirred controversy by terming former captain Tamim Iqbal as "an Indian agent".
Tamim, who represented Bangladesh in 70 Tests, 243 ODIs and 78 T20Is, had warned BCB against decisions driven by public sentiment as Bangladesh's participation in the T20 World Cup in India hangs in the balance.
Nazmul, chairman of the BCB finance committee, called the left-handed opener "an Indian agent" in a social media post.
"This time, the people of Bangladesh witnessed, with their own eyes, the emergence of yet another proven Indian agent," Nazmul wrote on Facebook.
"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 in the country are unacceptable and insulting to the entire cricketing community," the players' body said in a statement.
"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," it 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 held accountable. We hope the BCB president will take appropriate action as soon as possible," CWAB added.
Notably, the BCB wrote to the ICC earlier this week, urging the parent body to relocate its team's matches to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in India.
The issue arose after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from his IPL 2026 contract by KKR on BCCI’s instructions. The Indian board’s move came amid reports of attacks on minorities in the neighboring country.
"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 Taskin.
"I believe that such remarks directed at a former cricketer of the country are not helpful to the interests of Bangladesh cricket. I hope the concerned authorities will consider the matter seriously and adopt a more responsible stance in the future," he added.
Mominul stated: "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."
"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 held accountable. I call upon the BCB to take swift and strict action," Mominul further remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)