BCB promises to investigate claims of threats against protesting players

Mohammad Mithun, the president of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), has said he has received threatening calls and messages on Thursday, the day of the boycott led by the players' body. BCB director Iftekhar Rahman, who also attended the press briefing, said the board was taking these threats seriously.

Mithun, who has been at the forefront of the players' call for boycott, also led negotiations with the BCB. During the episode, which Mithun said that during the whole episode that saw two BPL matches and some Dhaka league matches being postponed due to the boycott, he didn't say anything offensive.

"Everyone's who has been on camera, we've been getting bad messages and threats via calls from many people," Mithun said during Thursday's late-night press conference in Dhaka. "I am sure that I haven't used any words that make someone small or I have gone into a debate or have spoken against the country. My only issue was cricket. The main matter was our self-respect and we are talking from that point of view only. People are calling us enemies of the country and so on. We have not uttered a single word against the country. No member of CWAB or no player will ever talk badly about our country, I am sure."

BCB director Iftekhar said he had directed the BCB's security team to help Mithun and those affected by the threats. "Everyone knows we have a security department," Iftekhar said. "I have just heard about the concerns from players, the calls and so on, we will tell the security department to handle it. We are taking this seriously."

He added that the BCB was taking into consideration the comments made by M Nazmul Islam, the under-fire BCB director. The board removed him as the finance committee chairman, but he remains a director. Iftekhar said Nazmul's words were "wrong", and that he had made the mistake of doubling down on his comments.

"The situation has only got worse because he has gone ahead and given more comments," Iftekhar said. "The board president, I can confirm, has himself told that director about concerns over his statements. He has denied it to some media that this communication didn't happen, but I can confirm it has happened."

Shanian Taneem, another BCB director, had written on January 14, shortly after Nazmul's press briefing, expressing his support for the players. "Our players are our asset and they sweat from head to toe to serve this nation," he wrote. "No one has the right to comment on whether they should be paid or not. I stand for what is right and will always protest for what's wrong.

"The players are our children and I will protect them whether they win or lose. I am only here to serve the game of cricket and I will stand on the way of anyone or anything that will hamper this game and our boys."