Bangladesh government forms a committee to look into player payment issue at BPL

The Bangladesh government has formed a fact-finding committee to look into the BPL's non-payment of players during the 2024-25 season. The country's sports ministry made the announcement on Thursday, amid the payment issue heating up.

"The attention of the National Sports Council (NSC) has been drawn to various media reports about the players' payment issue in the ongoing BPL," the sports ministry said in a press release. "The country's image, through the BCB and BPL, will be hurt if the payments are not made according to the contracts."

The three-member committee comprises the NSC director (sports) Humayun Kabir, assistant director (sports) Sajia Afrin and the NSC chairman's private secretary Saiful Islam. The committee will have seven days to submit its report.

The payment issue has become a major headache for the BCB, who reportedly didn't take bank guarantees from all the BPL teams before the tournament. There are reports of more than one team not having paid their players. The Durbar Rajshahi players have led the protest so far. Their local players boycotted a practice session in Chattogram, and the overseas players boycotted the match against Rangpur Riders in Dhaka.

The BCB has said it will take legal action against the Rajshahi franchise, while the World Cricketers Association's chief executive Tom Moffat expressed his disappointment over the issue.