Punishment Drama Leaves BCB Under Fire

When Towhid Hridoy found himself banned for two matches during the Dhaka Premier League after arguing with an umpire, it seemed like a straightforward case: player gets punished for misconduct, serves his penalty, and everyone moves on. But in Bangladesh cricket, nothing is ever that simple. Instead, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) set off a storm by later deferring a hefty one-year punishment against him, in a confusing twist that exposed major gaps in local disciplinary procedures.

What fired up players and fans wasn’t just the ban itself—it was the flip-flopping and procedural blunders that followed. Hridoy was first handed the two-match suspension, but then was allowed to play in the league before serving the penalty. When the BCB tried to reinforce the ban, questions about the board’s process exploded. Bangladesh Test captain Tamim Iqbal openly called the updated punishment ‘laughable,’ pointing out that it made little sense for someone to keep facing punishment after he’d already missed games.

BCB Scrambles for Answers Amid Growing Criticism

After the controversy made headlines, BCB officials were forced to admit that they’d mishandled the situation. They were quick to promise change, pledging to translate the league’s bylaws into Bangla for better clarity. Apparently, confusion over legal phrasing and understanding had thrown the board into chaos. It wasn’t only about the language, though—at its heart, the episode highlighted confusion about who actually has the authority to enforce bans and how those decisions should be carried out during tournaments.

All this isn’t just about Hridoy; it speaks to a much broader problem in cricket disciplinary action in Bangladesh. When even senior leaders can’t make sense of a suspension, it’s a wakeup call for the entire system. Umpires and match referees now face scrutiny over whether their actions carry real weight, or if the board will just overrule penalties at will.

The Hridoy fiasco comes with added baggage from Bangladesh’s cricket history. The case instantly reminded many of superstar Shakib Al Hasan’s run-ins with the authorities. Shakib, one of the country’s biggest names, regularly found himself in disciplinary trouble—suspended from the Bangladesh Premier League in 2015 for umpire abuse, fined in 2024 for hurling a ball at Mohammad Rizwan, and caught in public arguments over umpiring calls as recently as 2023. But his most infamous sanction was the two-year ban (with one year suspended) slapped on by the ICC in 2019, after failing to report approaches from bookmakers.

• The board’s repeated lapses have chipped away at the credibility of their domestic competitions.
• Players are starting to question whether rules actually mean anything when enforcement feels arbitrary.
• Umpires, caught in the middle, risk losing respect and authority if their decisions can easily be undone.

The BCB now faces a tough road ahead as it tries to rebuild trust both inside the dressing room and with the cricket-loving public. Cricket in Bangladesh is passionate and fiercely followed, but high-profile disciplinary confusions like this only deepen the sense that the rulebook is up for debate. Unless the board gets a grip—by clarifying regulations, ensuring fair processes, and sticking to clear communication—players like Hridoy may not be the last to be caught in the crossfire.