Sports adviser warns Durbar Rajshahi of legal action over unpaid wages

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan has issued a stern warning to Durbar Rajshahi, stating that discussions are over—if the franchise fails to clear outstanding player payments, legal action will be taken.

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) commenced on 31 January, but discussions regarding payment disputes began just a few days later.

Even after 34 days of the tournament, the issue remains unresolved, with Durbar Rajshahi at the centre of controversy. Despite repeated assurances, the franchise has failed to pay its players in accordance with regulations.

Their issued cheques have bounced twice, and at one point, the team's foreign players refused to take the field due to unpaid wages.

Local players had received 25% of their salaries and were awaiting the remaining 25%. Recently, Rajshahi provided cheques for the pending payment, but upon deposit, all of them bounced, leaving the players without their dues.

The foreign players, too, have received little beyond their initial 25% payment.

Rajshahi remained in contention for the playoffs until Saturday, having secured six wins in 12 league matches to accumulate 12 points.

However, Khulna Tigers' victory over Dhaka Capitals secured the final playoff spot. If Dhaka had won, Rajshahi would have qualified.

On the same day that they exited the tournament, the franchise also faced a legal warning from the sports adviser. Rajshahi, however, once again pledged to clear the outstanding payments.

On Saturday, the sports adviser met with Rajshahi's owner, Shafik Rahman, at the stadium in Mirpur. Asif Mahmud stated that the franchise owner had been given a clear ultimatum.

Speaking to the media, he said, "I had a direct conversation with Rajshahi's owner today. He assured us that the payment issues will be resolved. However, we have made it clear that if he fails to do so, there will be no further discussions—we will take legal action."

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and BPL Governing Council member secretary Nazmul Abedin Fahim admitted that due diligence was not properly conducted before granting Rajshahi a franchise licence.

"I believe we did not assess this franchise thoroughly enough. Their financial capacity and experience should have been evaluated more rigorously. We likely included them without proper scrutiny, which has now led to this difficult situation," he said.

BCB President Faruqueue Ahmed echoed similar concerns, stating that Rajshahi's actions had done significant damage to the integrity of a franchise tournament.

"We met with the franchise owners in early September. Tamim [Iqbal] led a group of players, including Mushfiq [Rahim] and Miraz [Mehidy Hasan], who requested us to ensure payments. Rajshahi's actions have been the worst possible example—it could ruin the tournament," said the BCB chief.

Faruque Ahmed also mentioned that the BPL Governing Council did not have many alternatives when selecting franchises.

This raised questions about whether the government had exerted pressure in the decision-making process. Denying any such interference, he said, "We didn't have many options. The member secretary and other officials were involved in the selection process. There was no external pressure. We tried to maintain continuity in organising the BPL. Last year, three teams failed to pay their franchise fees, and players' salaries remained unpaid. Payment issues have existed throughout the 11-year history of the BPL."

Referring to past BPL tournaments, he added, "We are speaking as if everything was perfect before, and only this year have problems arisen. But that is not the case. One must understand the context. The players were emotional about this issue, and their concerns must be prioritised. I have only recently taken charge—give me some time. I acknowledge that the reputation of the tournament has been damaged, but let's not pretend that the BPL's image was flawless before. We will recover from this situation. Just wait and see how the BPL evolves in the future."

"As the president, I accept responsibility. We should have conducted more thorough checks, but consider the other pressures we faced. Teams must be notified at least two months in advance about their participation in the BPL, or else foreign players will sign for other leagues. The BPL starts in December, and we had to conduct the draft by 15 October. You must understand the circumstances. I will discuss this with you all again another day. For now, I do not want to keep the honourable adviser waiting," Faruque Ahmed concluded.