The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Durbar Rajshahi has issued an apology for delayed payments to their players and has committed to clearing 50% of the outstanding dues by January 16. The apology follows a protest from local players, which led to the cancellation of a training session in Chattogram on January 15. The players had expressed frustration over unpaid fees, prompting them to boycott practice. However, the players returned to training on January 16, with the exception of Taskin Ahmed, who was absent for workload management. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli left annoyed by Mumbai crowd as he makes his way to Alibaug
The overseas players and coaching staff had already received 25% of their total payments after the team’s fourth match on January 6. However, the local cricketers were left waiting, which led to the disruption in training. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed intervened, holding discussions with Rajshahi officials, including captain Anamul Haque and several players, both via Zoom and at the team hotel. Player receive public apology from Durbar Rajshahi
Jayed Ahmed, the franchise's operations in-charge, publicly apologized for the payment delay but clarified that the cancelled practice was not directly related to the payment issue. He explained that some players had taken rest in Dhaka, which caused a delay in the full team arriving in Chattogram. He reassured everyone that the payments would be cleared by January 16, with 25% paid in cash and the remaining 25% through cheque. Jayed acknowledged the delay and assured that the franchise would meet its commitment. Check the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule and results here
BCB director Manjur Alam spoke to the media in Chattogram, saying that the BCB president had called an emergency meeting and was in direct contact with the team’s management. He expressed optimism about resolving the issue and emphasized that the players would resume practice, which was seen as a positive outcome.
The BPL governing council had set a payment schedule requiring franchises to pay 50% of player fees before the tournament, 25% during, and the remaining 25% after. It is reported that some local players also faced issues with their daily allowances not being paid regularly. Despite the challenges, Durbar Rajshahi announced a practice session at M A Aziz Stadium in Chattogram at 10 am on January 16, ahead of their match against Sylhet Strikers on January 17.