The 2025 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has generated significant controversy, particularly regarding the Durbar Rajshahi franchise, which has failed to fulfil its financial obligations to players.
According to ESPNcricinfo, several foreign players, including one from Pakistan, are stranded in a Dhaka hotel and cannot contact the franchisee about their overdue payments or arrangements for return flights.
The players affected include Mohammad Haris from Pakistan, Aftab Alam from Afghanistan, Mark Deyal and Miguel Cummins from the West Indies, and Ryan Burl from Zimbabwe. Reports indicate that while some players have received only 25% of their dues, others have not been paid at all. Additionally, they have not received their daily allowances for the past 11 days.
The situation escalated after Rajshahi was eliminated from the BPL on Saturday, prompting Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Mahmud to intervene. Mahmud has warned Shafique Rahman, the owner of Rajshahi, threatening legal action if the payments to players are not made promptly. “I spoke to the Rajshahi owner, who assured us that he will clear the payments,” Mahmud stated, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. He further emphasized, “I have told him clearly that if he fails to do so, we will take legal steps. No more discussions. Our fact-finding committee will look into how this team came to be.”
In a related development, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has set up an independent inquiry body to work alongside its Anti-Corruption Unit to address multiple corruption allegations that have surfaced during the tournament. This marks the first official corruption investigation in the BPL since 2013, highlighting ongoing issues with delayed player payments and ticketing controversies within the league.
