Mirpur Press Box Empty Amid Journalist Boycott

Sports journalists staged a boycott of the final match of the Adomyo T20 Cup, leaving the press box at Mirpur Stadium notably empty. The protest came in response to a recent incident during the tournament in which a photojournalist from a leading national English daily received an email from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) threatening to revoke their accreditation. The journalists’ collective decision to abstain from covering the final highlights growing tensions over press freedom in the country’s cricketing circles.

The incident traces back to the second day of the tournament, 6 February, when Tanvin Tamim, a photojournalist for Daily Sun, photographed three BCB directors—Faruk Ahmed, Khaled Masud Pilot, and M Nazmul—inside the BCB President’s Box. Observers noted that the body language captured in the photograph, coupled with the published caption, suggested a potential rift between Nazmul and the other two directors. The image quickly went viral on social media, drawing significant attention and discussion.

However, the BCB did not take the matter lightly. On 7 February, the day following the publication, the board sent an email to Tamim, issuing a warning that their accreditation could be revoked and instructing them to refrain from taking similar photographs in the future. This directive was widely perceived by the journalist community as an attempt to curtail press freedom.

In response, the sports journalists convened a brief meeting on Monday, 9 February, prior to the final match, to determine their course of action. They collectively decided to boycott the match as a form of protest. Before the match commenced, they displayed a banner on the roof of the press box, which read:
"Journalism is not a crime. We are sports journalists—do not try to silence us."

The boycott drew national attention, symbolising a stand for press independence in the sports arena. Officials acknowledged the absence of journalists from the press box but noted that the protest had been conducted peacefully, without disrupting the match itself. Analysts suggest that the episode underscores the delicate balance between sports administration and media freedom, and may prompt dialogue within the BCB regarding guidelines for press coverage.

The timeline of key events is summarised below:

The protest at Mirpur has been widely discussed across media platforms, with many journalists and advocates calling for greater protection of media personnel covering sports events. The incident also highlights the increasing scrutiny of interactions between cricket administration and journalists in Bangladesh, setting the stage for potential reforms to ensure that media independence is respected in future tournaments.