• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Bpl Crisis Humiliates Bangladesh Franchise Repeatedly Delays Payment Deadlines

BPL Crisis Humiliates Bangladesh! Franchise Repeatedly Delays Payment Deadlines

Soumyajit Dutta

Durbar Rajshahi players are yet to receive their complete payment [Source: @Merovaeous/X.com]Durbar Rajshahi players are yet to receive their complete payment [Source: @Merovaeous/X.com]

Story continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Recently, Bangladesh as a nation faced a disgraceful happening as foreign cricketers from Durbar Rajshahi, a BPL franchise, including Pakistan’s Mohammad Haris, Afghanistan’s Aftab Alam, West Indies’ Mark Deyal and Miguel Cummins, and Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl, were left stranded in Dhaka after the franchise repeatedly missed salary payments and failed to arrange return flights. 

The players of Durbar Rajshahi, some unpaid entirely and others receiving only 25% of their wages, faced humiliation as daily allowances were also withheld for 11 days. Rajshahi’s owner, Shafiqur Rahman, faced public scrutiny after hotel staff seized his car and guarded his room over unpaid bills. 

Franchise Manager Continues to Postpone Deadline

Under mounting pressure, Bangladesh’s sports ministry announced on Monday that Rahman has again promised to clear all dues by February 10, breaking his earlier February 2 deadline. The ministry revealed Rahman’s new three-instalment plan of 25% payments on February 3, 7, and 10. He also vowed to settle dues for support staff, including a bus driver who allegedly held players’ kit bags “hostage” over unpaid wages.  

The government has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the scandal, marking an unprecedented intervention into the BCB-run BPL. As per ESPN, Sports adviser Asif Mahmud warned Rahman of legal action if commitments are unfulfilled. 

''He also assured that alongside the players, everyone involved with the team would also receive their payments in each instalment. Otherwise, whatever necessary legal actions will be taken against him," said Asif Mahmud, as per ESPN.

Overseas Players Start Departing, Chaos Continues

Ryan Burl meanwhile, left Dhaka early Monday. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stepped in to arrange Mohammad Haris’ flight home after the franchise’s delays. Haris was set to depart Monday afternoon, with others expected to follow in the next two days.  

Despite these small steps, the crisis has severely damaged Bangladesh’s cricketing reputation. Local players had initially boycotted training over unpaid wages, while foreign stars briefly refused to play. Though Rajshahi narrowly missed playoff qualification, their financial collapse overshadowed the tournament.