CWAB demands immediate resignation of BCB official Najmul Islam

The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) on Wednesday warned that Bangladesh’s professional cricketers will boycott all cricketing activities if Najmul Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) finance committee, does not resign before the next Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match scheduled for Thursday, January 15.

The ultimatum was issued hours after Najmul made remarks that sparked widespread outrage within the cricketing community. He had stated that players alone would suffer financial losses if ICC Men’s T20 World Cup participation was affected and added that the BCB would not compensate cricketers for any loss of earnings.

CWAB president Mohammad Mithun announced the decision during an emergency online press conference held late Wednesday night, describing Najmul’s comments as demeaning and unacceptable.

“The words that the board director has used about the players are completely unacceptable to the players. It has deeply hurt the entire body of cricketers,” Mithun was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

Mithun also expressed frustration over long-standing unresolved issues, including concerns related to domestic cricket structures. He stated that the association had repeatedly shown patience but had seen no meaningful progress.

“We have even given the board a lot of time on the First Division, and still we haven’t seen any positive result. And the words that this board director is repeatedly using have deeply hurt the entire cricket community, and the players are in no way willing to accept this,” he added.

Issuing a firm warning, Mithun declared that the players were prepared to take collective action if their demand was not met.

“So if he does not resign before tomorrow’s match, then from tomorrow onward we are announcing a boycott of all cricket activities,” he said.

Anticipating the growing unrest, the BCB released a formal statement earlier on Wednesday expressing regret over the remarks made by Najmul. The board stated that it expressed “sincere regret for remarks that may be deemed inappropriate, offensive, or hurtful.”

The BCB clarified that the comments did not represent the board’s official stance, noting that they “should not be interpreted as representing the views or policies of the board.” The statement further reaffirmed the board’s commitment to the players, emphasizing that “players remain at the heart of Bangladesh cricket.”

The board also pledged that “appropriate disciplinary action” would be taken against conduct that disrespects cricketers, as tensions continue to escalate ahead of the next BPL fixture.