Mustafizur Rahman; Tamim Iqbal

A senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official’s comment calling former captain Tamim Iqbal “an Indian agent” has drawn criticism from players in the country. Tamim, one of Bangladesh’s leading openers, had advised the BCB not to be driven by emotion while deciding on the national team’s participation in the T20 World Cup in India. Nazmul, chairman of the BCB finance committee, made the remark in a Facebook post.

“This time, the people of Bangladesh witnessed, with their own eyes, the emergence of yet another proven Indian agent,” he wrote. The post received immediate backlash from former and current cricketers, including Taskin Ahmed, Mominul Haque, and Taijul Islam. The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) also expressed concern. “A comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal has come to the attention of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh. We are stunned, shocked, and outraged by it. Such a remark by a board official about the most successful opener in Bangladesh’s history, who represented the country for 16 years, is utterly condemnable.” “Not only because it concerns a player like Tamim, but such comments about any cricketer of the country are unacceptable and insulting to the entire cricketing community,” the players’ body said in a statement. The 36-year-old Tamim played 70 Tests, 243 ODIs, and 78 T20 Internationals for Bangladesh. “We strongly protest against this comment. When a responsible board director makes such remarks on a public platform, it also raises serious questions about the code of conduct of board officials,” CWAB said. “We have already submitted a protest letter to the BCB president, demanding a public apology from the concerned board director and that he be brought under accountability. We hope the BCB president will take appropriate action as soon as possible,” the statement added. Bangladesh had written to the International Cricket Council requesting their T20 World Cup games be moved out of India after the BCCI asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the 2026 edition. “Cricket is the life of Bangladesh. A recent comment surrounding a former national captain who has made a major contribution to the game has caused many to reflect,” said pacer Taskin. “I believe that such remarks directed at a former cricketer of the country are not helpful in the interest of Bangladesh cricket. I hope the concerned authorities will consider the matter seriously and adopt a more responsible stance in the future,” he added. In 2007, Tamim’s half-century had helped Bangladesh eliminate India from the ODI World Cup in the Caribbean. Former Bangladesh captain Mominul said Nazmul’s remarks were unacceptable. “The comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal is completely unacceptable and insulting to the country’s cricketing community. Such behaviour towards a cricketer is in direct conflict with the board’s responsibility and ethics,” Mominul said. “A senior cricketer was not given even the minimum respect; instead, he was deliberately humiliated in public. Such remarks show a lack of even basic decorum regarding where and how to speak while holding such a high responsibility. “I strongly condemn this comment and firmly demand a public apology from the concerned director and that he be brought under accountability. I call upon the BCB to take swift and strict action,” he added.

AMBERNATH: In a fresh twist to the political drama in the Ambernath municipal council, a day after 12 suspended Congress councillors joined BJP, all four councillors from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP withdrew their support to the BJP-led front and extended it to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. With this, Sena, which had emerged the single-largest party by winning 27 seats, now has the support of 32 councillors (one backer is an independent), a majority in the 60-member council. The latest move is a setback to an attempt by BJP, with 15 councillors, to gain a majority by first securing the support of 12 Congress and 4 NCP councillors and then taking the suspended Congress councillors into its own fold.

BJP had won the direct election to the post of council president but will now be compelled to share power with Shiv Sena as key positions such as that of deputy president and posts of chairpersons of local committees are expected to go to Sena and NCP, political observers said. The elections held last month saw Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP contest separately. Ambernath has traditionally been a Shiv Sena stronghold and is also considered the bastion of Shiv Sena LS MP Shrikant Shinde, son of deputy CM Eknath Shinde. To maintain control of the civic body, BJP had brought together 12 Congress councillors, four from NCP, and one independent, forming the 32-member Ambernath Vikas Aghadi. The group was formally registered with Thane collector. However, BJP faced criticism for aligning with Congress, and the latter subsequently suspended its councillors, leading all 12 to formally join the saffron outfit. However, Shinde Junior is said to have turned the tables on BJP by securing the support of the four NCP councillors plus one independent. Two independents were elected to the council; the other is with the BJP-led group. Sena MLA Balaji Kinikar confirmed Friday’s developments. A BJP politician who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the four NCP councillors had formally joined the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi, and the group was recognised by the Thane collector. This, he said, raises questions over whether the NCP councillors can extend support to Sena. Observers said the changing political equations have altered the balance of power in the council but may have also opened the door to possible legal and political challenges in the days ahead.

India is at the cusp of a historic economic journey, with government policies and reforms giving the country “wind in its sails” even as global trade uncertainties intensify, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Shaktikanta Das said on Friday.Delivering the inaugural Bibek Debroy Memorial Lecture, Das said India has emerged stronger from successive global shocks and is now positioned to pursue sustained growth despite a fragmented global economic order, PTI reported.Atmanirbharta as resilience, not isolation“At a time when the consensus that powered globalisation in past decades has frayed and multilateral cooperation has become harder to achieve, India has embraced Atmanirbharta as the overarching principle of our policies,” Das said.Clarifying the approach, he added: “Atmanirbharta is not being isolationist, but a strategy to build core competence and resilience. Economic Atmanirbharta means developing the capacity to produce critical goods and technologies at home and reducing over-reliance on foreign sources.”A self-reliant economy, backed by strong domestic capabilities and an autonomous foreign policy, provides India greater strength to sustain growth and navigate external challenges, he said. “Together, they ensure that India’s rise is resilient, sustainable and beneficial to us and to the world.”From global shocks to ‘wind in our sails’Das said India has successfully emerged from what appeared to be “perfect storms” triggered by multiple global shocks since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.“And now with the policies that the country has adopted, the wind is in our sails. We are indeed on our path to Viksit Bharat,” he said.India, he noted, stands at an inflection point where shifting geopolitical alignments and trade policies are reshaping the global economic landscape.“India stands today at the cusp of a historic journey — from being an incredible India to a credible India. There will be headwinds and challenges emanating from known and unknown sources,” Das said.Fragmenting world, India’s strategic responseDas flagged the strain on global institutions and multilateral frameworks, saying traditional multilateralism is increasingly being sidelined by geopolitical rivalries, protectionism and fragmentation.“Key international institutions are struggling to deliver on their mandates… Trade and supply chains, once seen as neutral conduits of globalisation, are increasingly being utilised as instrumentalities of disruption and dominance,” he said.Reshoring, friend-shoring and restricted technology flows are fragmenting global networks, reflecting broader geo-economic fragmentation, Das added.Against this backdrop, India’s approach is pragmatic. “India stands for a cooperative and rules-based global system; but at the same time, we are proactively forging partnerships and strategies to secure our national interest in a world where power is more diffused,” he said.“We, of course, acknowledge that the multilateral system must be revitalised, even as we adapt to new alignments,” Das added.

Investors are anticipating that the decision could either trigger a sharp surge in the Sensex and Nifty or exacerbate the turbulence. (AI image)

Will the world continue to face US President Donald Trump tariffs or will the Supreme Court in America deem them illegal? It’s an important factor in the minds of investors world over, and Indian stock markets are also awaiting clarity on the same. While it was widely anticipated that the Supreme Court in the US will rule on the tariff issue on Friday, no ruling is lined up for today.For the past five trading sessions, Sensex and Nifty have tanked over 2% – the markets are reacting to a stalemate in the India-US trade deal negotiations, a fresh threat by Trump of higher tariffs on India, and a new bill in the US Senate which proposes 500% tariffs on countries that purchase Russian crude oil.

Investors are anticipating that the decision could either trigger a sharp surge in the Sensex and Nifty or exacerbate the turbulence that has already unsettled Dalal Street in the last few days.

Ruling on Trump tariffs: What would it mean for Sensex, Nifty?

Should the Supreme Court strike down the tariffs, India could emerge as one of the main beneficiaries in the world. India currently faces a 50% tariff rate on its exports to the US. However, the recent nod by Trump for a bill that looks to impose a 500% tariff on countries importing Russian oil poses an additional threat to India’s trade competitiveness. Experts widely expect the stock market to rally in case a verdict striking down the tariffs comes.Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The US Supreme Court ruling can have profound consequences. How the ruling will impact markets will depend on the details. If the ruling is that the tariffs are illegal and the president has exceeded his authority, that will lead to serious consequences like refunding the importers who have paid the tariffs. This will widen the US deficit and increase their borrowing leading to higher bond yields. The impact of this scenario on the US stock market will be negative.”“On the contrary, countries like India which have been at the receiving end of Trump’s tariffs will benefit from such a ruling. Particularly exporters to the US will benefit. It is also possible that the Supreme Court may partially nullify the tariffs, in which case, the impact will depend on the details. Even if the ruling goes against the US administration, it is highly likely that the president and his team will resort to other means to impose tariffs. The tariff drama is likely to linger for some time,” he tells TOI.A Supreme Court decision invalidating the Trump-era tariffs could offer immediate support to global risk assets, with Indian equities standing to gain the most. Analysts note that such a ruling would lower input costs, ease trade tensions, and enhance profit visibility for export-driven sectors that have been heavily impacted by the high US duties.On the other hand, if the court upholds the tariffs, markets may experience prolonged volatility and heightened policy uncertainty. Sustained tariffs would maintain elevated supply chain costs, squeeze corporate margins, and potentially delay investment decisions. Under such conditions, experts anticipate a lack of broad market gains, with trading largely limited to individual stocks.

The 500% Tariff Sword

Market participants are also going to closely monitor not just the verdict, but its specifics: whether the court will deliver a full invalidation of the tariff regime or a partial ruling that allows some trade frictions to persist.The Russia Sanctioning Act could impose a staggering 500% tariff on nations importing Russian oil. While the measure is intended to restrict Moscow’s energy revenues, it could inflict severe collateral consequences on India.“The trade dispute between India and the US has intensified, with former President Donald Trump endorsing legislation authored by Senator Lindsey Graham that would allow a 500% tariff on countries importing Russian oil,” said Harsimran Sahni, Head – Treasury at Anand Rathi Global Finance.Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, India has significantly increased imports of discounted Russian crude. Sahni cautioned, “If enforced, this tariff could sharply elevate the cost of Indian exports to the US, hurting trade competitiveness and straining an already fragile global economic environment.”He added, “The implications for India extend beyond trade alone. Higher tariffs could slow growth by impacting export-driven sectors, while rising energy costs might complicate inflation management. Government measures to stabilize supply and demand could affect liquidity and drive yields higher.”