BPL corruption hearing begins in Dhaka

The preliminary hearing into the alleged match-fixing and spot-fixing scandal in the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League began in Dhaka on Sunday. Legal representatives of eight of the nine people charged participated in the proceedings; the next hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2014.

Noorus Sadik, the legal representative of Mosharraf Hossain and Mahbubul Alam, said he had put forward a statement on the players' behalf and pleaded not guilty. Dhaka Gladiators' legal advisor Aminuddin said the team had asked the tribunal to stop its proceedings because it had already filed a case in the civil court. "We asked them to stop the proceedings as they failed to form the tribunal in 40 days and we had filed a case in the civil court," Aminuddin said. "As the case is pending in the court, we want it to end before the tribunal starts its proceeding."

ICC legal head Ian Higgins, Shelly Clarke and Jonathan Taylor were present at the hearing that was convened by Justice Khademul Islam along with panel members Azmalul Haque and Shakil Kashem.

According to the BCB's anti-corruption code, the purpose of the preliminary hearing was to "allow the convenor of the anti-corruption tribunal to address any issues that need to be resolved prior to the hearing date".