Tamim Expresses Anger Over Stadium Washroom Issues, Alleges Wage Irregularities for Female Workers

Not the action on the field, but the conditions inside the stadium have now come under sharp scrutiny, as Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ad-hoc committee chairman Tamim Iqbal raised serious concerns over alleged irregularities and exploitation of female workers, exposing a troubling picture of mismanagement.

The issue surfaced during Tamim’s inspection of the gallery and washroom facilities at Mirpur Stadium during the Bangladesh–New Zealand series, which led him to question the cleaning service arrangements. In this regard, Tamim said, “Yesterday I went to the BCB. I asked how much we pay per person for the cleaning service. I was surprised to hear that we pay 650 taka. Then I asked, if we pay 650 taka, why are they receiving only 300 taka? You all know about such corruption. It hurts me that these women, who earn 300 to 400 taka per day, are also being exploited. To even steal from them is absolutely disgusting.”

He further criticized the long-standing infrastructural neglect at the stadium. Tamim said, “You may be surprised to hear that since the stadium was built in 2007, there has been no renovation of the bathrooms. That is not right. When I visited, I saw it myself. One of the cleaning staff told me, which many of you may have seen in a video, ‘Brother, we receive 300 taka per day. Please look into this.’”

Tamim also highlighted that the issue is affecting international visitors. He said, “I was honestly very surprised. When I went to the gallery that day, a woman from Finland, who had come straight from the airport that morning to watch the match, politely told me, ‘Brother, if the washrooms could be improved.’”

Taking a strict stance, he added, “I have asked them to submit a bill for this series. I said you will bring 30 women in front of me and pay them 500 taka each. You may keep a profit margin of 100–150 taka, which is fine because any company has operational costs. But whatever commitment you made to these women, you will fulfill it in front of me. Otherwise, we will cancel the contract and also blacklist you so that you can never work with the BCB again.”