BCB will ask Tanzim about his Facebook status
Pacer Tanzim Hasan stole the limelight from the very day of his international debut. He took two vital wickets after scoring an unbeaten 14 off just eight balls to help Bangladesh clinch a win against India in the Asia Cup. The debutant got plaudits for bowling the last over and successfully defending 11 runs. After such a praiseworthy performance the 20-year-old cricketer become centre of discussions on social media.
He, as a matter of fact, became talk of the social media over the last couple of days. But the reason is different. Some of his old Facebook statuses created sa tir not only in the cricketing world but also the whole sphere of social media. The one status that created the most controversy is the one where the young cricketer demeaned the rights of women.
Having observed the social media mayhem, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) contacted with Tanzim. BCB’s cricket operation Jalal Yunus told Prothom Alo, “We do not want to say anything now. We are talking with him. Let us talk first, then we will let you know. He committed a mistake. We want to know the facts from him.”
It was found according to a viral screenshot that on 9 September 2022, Tanzim wrote, “"If the wife works, the husband's rights are not ensured,"
Tanzim posted on Facebook last year, "If the wife works, the child's rights are not ensured. If the wife works, her elegance is harmed. If the wife works, the family is ruined. If the wife works, the modesty is ruined. If the wife works, society is ruined."
In the last para of the post he added, “Henceforth, in order to maintain dignity, let the women remain submissive to their husbands and stay at home like a queen. Rather than losing afterlife by chasing after the worldly life, let the mothers and sisters stay at home, serve the children and husband to earn blessings from both the worldly and the afterlife, Inshallah.”
After the post went viral, it seemed Tanzim had removed it from the public sphere.
In another post, Tanzim warned men that their sons would not have a "modest" mother if they married "a woman who is accustomed to free mixing with her male friends in a university".
The misogynist comments of the young cricketer, however, evoked two streams of reactions on social media. Some are vehemently criticising this while some other are defending it in the name of freedom of speech, and some even are justifying it in light of religious teachings.
Like many debatable issues in the country, for some Tanzim has become a villain who must not represent his country again while some are heaping praise on him as a ‘warrior’ of religion.
It is worthy to mention England pacer Olie Robinson, who made his debut at the age of 28 in 2021, faced huge backlash when some of his social media comments that he posted at his young age, were unearthed.
Robinson sought apology for those sexist, racist and offensive comments and faced punishment from the England Cricket Board.