Model and actress Tanzia Zaman Mithila is representing Bangladesh at the 74th Miss Universe competition. After winning the crown of Miss Universe Bangladesh 2025 last September, she flew to Thailand in the final week of October to take part in the main event, carrying the national flag with pride. Amid various controversies circulating on social media, Mithila shared a video message in which she expressed deep disappointment over the behaviour of people from her own country and highlighted the harsh realities of the global stage. Mithila said, “When foreigners troll me, it doesn’t really affect me. But people from my own country can see how much hard work I am putting in. Representing such a big country requires constant discipline, strict schedules, and endless practice. Even after all this, if I don’t receive even a little appreciation from my own people, it is genuinely painful.” Responding to criticism over wearing a bikini, she stated clearly, “If I wanted, I could have chosen not to wear a bikini. But then I wouldn’t even have made it to the top thirty. You want Bangladesh to do well—to win. To achieve that goal, I have to follow the rules of the competition. Religious arguments are not relevant here; the rules make this mandatory.” She added, “This stage is enormous. The best contestants from countless countries are here, and every one of them is highly capable. To compete with them, I have to push myself even further—and on that journey, the support of my own people is what I need the most.”