Just days after making an outstanding debut for
Bangladesh in international cricket, a misogynistic social media post
denigrating working women landed the batsman in hot water on Monday. When the
neighbours faced off against one other in the Asia Cup on Friday, bowler Tanzim
Hasan Sakib successfully removed India skipper Rohit Sharma with just his
fourth delivery in international cricket. He then maintained composure in the
decisive over to give Bangladesh the win.
However, after his misogynistic social media
statements were exposed, the 20-year-old received ridicule from feminists and
advocates for women’s rights.
“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 damaged.
If the wife works, the family is ruined. If the wife works, the veil is ruined.
If the wife works, society is ruined.”
The bulk of workers in the garment industries that
have contributed significantly to Bangladesh’s economic progress in recent
years are women. But in the nation with a majority of Muslims, conservative
patriarchal values are still pervasive.
Tanzim warned fathers in another post that if they wed
“a woman who is used to free mixing with her male friends in a
university,” their sons would not have a “modest” mother.
The remarks sparked a response, with feminist writer
Jannatun Nayeem Prity of Paris pointing out that the Bangladesh team’s uniforms
were produced in factories with a large female workforce.
The BCB said it was investigating. “The issue
came to our attention. We are looking into the matter,” its cricket
operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP.