Chittagong Kings owner apologises for controversial remarks on Emon

The franchise owner of Chittagong Kings, Samir Kader Chowdhury, has apologised for making inappropriate remarks about cricketer Parvez Hossain Emon.

The controversy arose after Emon was not paid his remuneration in accordance with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regulations.

Neither was he informed when he would receive his payment. Amidst this, Samir Kader made a controversial statement, saying he was dissatisfied with Emon's performance and that "money does not grow on trees."

His remarks were deemed disrespectful towards cricketers, prompting criticism from BCB director and BPL Governing Council member secretary Nazmul Abedin Fahim. Today, Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan also expressed his disappointment, stating that such comments were deeply discouraging.

On Saturday, during the final league match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, the sports advisor attended the game and later held discussions with the owners of Chittagong Kings and Durbar Rajshahi regarding player payments and other matters. During this discussion, he cautioned the Chittagong Kings owner about his remarks on Emon. Later, speaking to the media, Nazmul Abedin confirmed that Samir Kader had apologised for his statement.

When asked about Samir Kader's remarks on Emon, the sports advisor responded, "It is very disappointing. We have spoken to him today and issued a warning. He has no right to make such comments about a player. He signed him through a contractual agreement, and performance should not justify non-payment. We have warned him, and we have also informed the BCB to take appropriate action in accordance with the rules."

Nazmul Abedin elaborated on the matter, stating that such behaviour is unacceptable towards any player, not just national team members. He also mentioned that Samir Kader acknowledged his mistake and admitted that his behaviour towards Emon was inappropriate.

"Concerns were raised about the way a national team player was treated. Today, we had a discussion with the franchise owner and made it absolutely clear that we were extremely dissatisfied with the situation.

It is not just about national team players; no cricketer should be spoken to in such a manner. We will not tolerate such behaviour. He has apologised and admitted that his actions were inappropriate," Nazmul Abedin said.

When asked whether the BCB would officially announce Samir Kader's apology, he replied, "We can certainly do that, there is no issue with it."

Why did the Chittagong Kings owner make such remarks about Emon without paying his remuneration? Investigations revealed that Emon had been vocal about the non-payment issue, discussing it multiple times with his teammates. They also deliberated on possible actions if payments were not made. This discussion eventually reached Samir Kader, leading him to make the controversial remarks about Emon.