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Bangladesh players threaten BPL boycott over BCB director’s remark for Tamim Iqbal

Aakash Saini

Bangladesh team players [Source: @sumir_pathak/x]Bangladesh team players [Source: @sumir_pathak/x]

Bangladesh cricketers are threatening to boycott all forms of cricket, including the ongoing BPL 2025-26 season, unless Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Nazmul Islam tenders his resignation. Earlier, Nazmul Islam had made disparaging comments against former cricketer and legendary opener Tamim Iqbal, describing him as an “Indian agent” for trying to mediate talks between the BCB, the ICC and the BCCI.

It is worth noting that Iqbal had advocated dialogue between the three cricketing bodies amid BCB’s ongoing security concern in sending the Bangladesh team to India for next month’s 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The security concerns itself stemmed from the recent diplomatic fallout between Bangladesh and India, especially after the BCCI urged the KKR franchise to expel fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the upcoming IPL 2026 season.

Dhaka leg opener of BPL 2025-26 faces boycott threats

The BPL 2025-26 season is set to resume on Thursday, January 15 with a double header at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The two matches will also kick-off the Dhaka leg of the season after the conclusion of an extensive Sylhet stint.

As it turned out, the double-header on January 15 is now facing an unprecedented threat of a boycott from all Bangladesh players.

Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) president Mohammad Mithun confirmed that Bangladesh cricketers will be boycotting all forms of cricket until BCB director M Nazmul Islam tenders his resignation.

What did M Nazmul Islam say?

Earlier this week, former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal advocated for diplomatic talks between the BCB, ICC and the BCCI amidst BCB and Bangladesh’s government’s security concerns of playing T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India. It is worth noting that the Bangladesh government and the BCB has refused to send the Bangladesh team to India amidst the prevailing geo-political tensions between the two countries, further exacerbated by the BCCI by banning Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 season.

With Tamim Iqbal proposing a peaceful solution, BCB director M Nazmul Islam had called him an “Indian agent”.

After facing some severe criticism from several Bangladeshi cricketers, M Nazmul Islam further added that Bangladesh players will not be compensated for any losses if the team eventually pulls out of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. While speaking with the reporters, he said that any form of pull out from the World Cup will only result in losses for the players, and not for the BCB.

While the BCB has distanced itself from M Nazmul Islam’s remarks, Bangladesh players and the CWAB association is now demanding for his resignation before the BPL 2025-26 double-header on January 15.

BCB reject ICC’s proposal, global body likely to give in

Coming to BCB’s security concerns, the ICC offered alternate Indian venues like Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram to the BCB for Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 matches a few days ago. However, the BCB rejected the offer, and reaffirmed their stance of not playing in any Indian venue.

As of January 14, several reports indicate that the ICC might give into the BCB’s demand and will likely be relocating Bangladesh’s Group fixtures of the tournament to Sri Lanka instead.