National Sports Council forms inquiry committee to investigate BPL payment disputes

The National Sports Council (NSC) has formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate payment disputes in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Several teams have failed to clear players' dues as per the agreed terms, raising concerns over the league's financial management.The committee aims to uncover the reasons behind the issue and submit a report within seven working days.

The NSC's official order, issued on Thursday, stated that multiple media reports had highlighted unpaid wages in the BPL, prompting the council to intervene. The order acknowledged that failure to pay players on time, as per contracts, could damage the reputation of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the BPL, and the country itself. As a result, an inquiry committee has been formed to examine the matter thoroughly ahead of BPL 2025.

The committee consists of the NSC's Director (Sports) as the convener, the personal secretary to the NSC chairman as a member, and the NSC's Assistant Director (Sports) as the member secretary.

While the ongoing BPL has delivered competitive cricket and attracted large crowds, discussions off the field have been dominated by players' unpaid wages. Teams such as Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings have failed to clear payments on time. Rajshahi, in particular, has faced unprecedented controversy, with players even boycotting practice during the Chattogram leg of the tournament.

At that time, they hinted at the possibility of boycotting matches as well. To pacify the situation, local players were given 25% of their salaries via cheque in Chattogram, but some of those cheques bounced when deposited. After returning to Dhaka, Rajshahi's foreign players refused to take the field against Rangpur Riders due to unpaid wages. Local players were again handed 25% of their salaries, yet all cheques were rejected upon deposit.