Durbar Rajshahi to pay players' unpaid dues in 3 installments

The 11th season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has been marred by controversies, including dissatisfaction with ticket sales, suspicions of match-fixing, and unpaid player salaries. One of the major concerns has been the franchise "Durbar Rajshahi," which has been in the spotlight for failing to pay players their salaries on time.

On the morning of February 3, Shafiqur Rahman, the owner of Durbar Rajshahi, was detained by law enforcement for questioning. Following this, he assured that the players' salaries would be paid in three installments.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports issued a notice confirming the development, stating that the outstanding payments would be cleared in three installments on February 3, 7, and 10.

Despite the team's elimination from the tournament, the full salaries of the players have not yet been paid. Some foreign players were unable to leave their hotels due to the delay in payments.

It was expected that by Sunday, 25% of the payment would be made by Rajshahi, but since this did not happen, Shafiqur Rahman was questioned on February 3.

The Ministry's notice also states that when reports of lawsuits being filed against the franchise owner reached the ministry, they took the matter seriously and initiated an investigation to protect the country's image. Furthermore, when rumors spread about the franchise owner possibly fleeing, the government felt compelled to intervene.

The notice continues, saying, "While the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and senior government officials have made sincere efforts to ensure the success of BPL 2025, the 'Durbar Rajshahi' franchise has repeatedly breached agreements with their players, coaching staff, and management, which has raised international concerns about the tournament and the country's reputation. As these unprofessional actions were consistently reported in the media, Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan had to step in and meet with the franchise owner to resolve the issue."

The notice also highlights that, although the advisor was assured that 50% of the dues would be paid by February 2, this was not fulfilled. Instead, further complaints of irregularities emerged in the media. Upon learning of lawsuits being filed against the franchise owner, the ministry took the matter seriously and began investigating to safeguard the country's image.

Additionally, the notice explains that, in an effort to resolve the situation and ensure players received their dues, Shafiqur Rahman was questioned by law enforcement on February 3. During the inquiry, he admitted his fault and assured that the full dues would be paid in three installments—on February 3, 7, and 10, with each installment covering 25% of the outstanding amount.

A fact-finding committee has been formed to investigate the various irregularities surrounding the BPL.