"does this question really have to be asked?"
BCB Director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim snapped at a reporter at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) headquarters in Mirpur.
The routine press conference turned tense after he refused to answer a straightforward question.
The inquiry concerned the absence of two of Bangladesh’s most celebrated cricketers, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan.
As the meeting included former captains, the question was also relevant.
Instead of providing clarity, Fahim reacted with visible frustration, further fuelling the perception that transparency is not the board’s strong suit.
The meeting, led by BCB President Faruque Ahmed, aimed to bring together past captains to discuss the future of Bangladesh cricket.
Among those present were Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Minhajul Abedeen Nannu, Shahriar Nafees, and Liton Das, with Khaled Mashud joining virtually.
However, the absence of Mashrafe and Shakib, two of the nation’s most iconic players, raised eyebrows.
When a reporter attempted to ask about Mashrafe’s participation, Nazmul cut him off before he could finish, snapping:
“Do you have to… does this question really have to be asked?”
His irritation was unmistakable, and instead of a simple response, he dismissed the query with a blunt “next question, please”.
When another journalist pressed about Shakib’s involvement, he replied “no” and sneered whilst pointing at the media.
The director questioned: “Any more questions… about Shakib?”
His dismissive tone and abrupt departure from the press conference further highlighted his unwillingness to engage on the matter.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy took a hit with a crushing seven-wicket defeat to Pakistan’s ‘A’ team in Dubai.
The match exposed glaring weaknesses in the team’s batting line-up, adding to concerns ahead of their opener against India.
Coming straight from the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) without recent 50-over match practice, the team struggled to put up a competitive total.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz top-scored with 44 off 53 balls, while number-nine batter Tanzim Hasan Sakib contributed 30 off 27.
The whole Bangladesh team collapsed at 202 in just 38.2 overs.
Pakistan Shaheens chased the target comfortably in 34.5 overs, powered by Mohammad Haaris and Mubashir Khan.
The warm-up loss raised further concerns for the Tigers, especially after several players had underwhelming BPL campaigns.
With confidence low and key batters failing to deliver, Bangladesh’s preparations appear shaky ahead of the high-stakes tournament.
Beyond the on-field struggles, the issue remains BCB’s attitude toward legitimate inquiries.
The public is deeming the BCB director’s reaction as ‘unnecessary’ over what could have been a minor issue.
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