Najmul’s reply 'satisfactory and positive', says BCB disciplinary chairman

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Najmul Islam has submitted his reply to the show-cause notice issued by the board on Sunday, although the response arrived a day later than the deadline set by the BCB.

The notice followed a turbulent episode triggered by Najmul’s comments to the media, where he stated that the board would not owe any compensation to players if Bangladesh failed to qualify for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. Najmul argued that the BCB had never sought refunds from players after poor performances at global tournaments.

His remarks drew strong backlash from players under the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), who demanded his resignation and threatened to boycott the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and all forms of cricket if their demands were not met. As tensions escalated, neither of the matches scheduled for last Thursday could proceed, with players refusing to take the field. Following negotiations between the players and the board, the BPL eventually resumed after a day’s interruption.

In response to the controversy, the BCB confirmed last Thursday that it had served Najmul a show-cause letter and relieved him of his duties as chairman of the board’s finance committee. On Sunday, BCB disciplinary committee chairman Faiazur Rahman informed that Najmul had formally replied to the notice.

“He has given us a reply but I haven’t seen the letter yet since I was busy with other developments. I have learned from the person who received the letter that his reply was satisfactory and positive. I will be referring it to the board with a board meeting also set to take place soon,” Faiazur told The Daily Star on Sunday.

Although Najmul had been given a 48-hour ultimatum to respond, his reply was submitted after 72 hours. This is not the first time the director has come under scrutiny, as he had earlier faced criticism for comments made against former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal.

The BCB disciplinary committee will now review Najmul’s response before deciding on the next course of action.