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Fortune Barishal pull out of Bangladesh Premier League for next five seasons

Rajgeeta Yadav

Fortune Barishal opts out of BPL [Source: AFP]Fortune Barishal opts out of BPL [Source: AFP]

In a surprising move, defending Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Fortune Barishal have decided not to take part in the tournament for the next five seasons. The franchise, owned by Fortune Shoes, officially informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of its withdrawal, creating a major shake-up just weeks before the new season’s player draft.

The decision has left the BCB scrambling to rethink its franchise structure for the 2025–2026 BPL cycle. Barishal’s management had earlier asked the BPL governing council to delay the upcoming season, saying they needed more time to prepare their team. They claimed that the short notice made it difficult to build a strong squad.

However, the BCB confirmed that the next BPL season will likely start around December 19, with the player draft set for November 17. Since the schedule couldn’t be changed, Fortune Barishal decided to step away entirely, marking the end of their participation for the foreseeable future.

BPL draws 11 new bidders for team ownership

Despite this setback, interest in the BPL remains high. According to Cricbuzz, the league has drawn 11 new bidders who submitted Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for team ownership before the October 28 deadline. These include both previous investors and new companies interested in forming teams in major cities like Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Noakhali, and Sylhet.

"We have received these 11 EOIs and now we will be following the criteria we have while the next step is that we will assess their financial strength and the day after tomorrow (30th October) we will call them for individual interviews," BCB president Aminul Islam told reporters at Navana Tower.

"The name you mentioned (Fortune Barishal) is not in the EOIs we received today," he added.

Among the bidders are Champions Sports Limited (proposing Dhaka Capitals), Triangle Services Limited and SQ Sports Enterprise Limited (both for Chattogram), First SS Enterprise (Kumilla Fighters), Togi Sports (Rangpur Riders), and Desh Travels and Nabil Group (both eyeing Rajshahi). Others include Bangla Mark, Mind Free Limited, Ruposhi Concrete, Akashbari Holidays, and JM Sports and Enterprise.

Notably, with Fortune Barishal’s exit, the BCB now faces the challenge of filling the vacant spot and ensuring the league remains competitive and exciting.