Partnership with betting company lands Shakib in hot waters with BCB

BetWinner is an online betting site owned and managed by Cyprus-based Marikit Holdings Ltd and BetWinner news is a sister concern of the site. And according to a post on his official Facebook page, ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has agreed to become the brand ambassador of the portal. The cricketing fraternity of Bangladesh is right now in a frenzy regarding the issue since betting is illegal in Bangladesh but the BCB president Nazmul Hassan claimed that they don't know anything about it.

Although BetWinner news is not directly a betting site but only a sister concern of it, the BCB president said that it won't allow Shakib to endorse the portal. Since Shakib didn't inform the BCB of the agreement between the two parties, Nazmul doesn't know much about it. He stated that an investigation will take place before they take any action against Shakib.

Gambling and online betting are illegal in Bangladesh and the BCB and the ICC also have strict rules against these. When the BCB invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for franchise ownership rights of the BPL, it clearly stated that no online betting company wouldn't be allowed to participate in it.

The BCB president mentioned that he himself will speak to Shakib and if the news is true, appropriate action will be taken against the latter.

"Not only the cricket board, it's illegal according to the law of the land. It's a serious issue. But we can't take any action based on a Facebook post. We've to investigate to know what really has happened and if it's true, the board will do what it needs to."

Generally, before any kind of agreement, the players have to inform the board of it and also submit the papers. Shakib did none of these and even if he did, the BCB wouldn't give him the permission, said Nazmul.

"There is no chance [of giving permission]. We won't permit him to endorse a betting site. But we have to know if an agreement has really taken place or not."

Nazmul further said that Shakib would be issued a show-cause notice. "It will be quickly checked whether he has signed the agreement. A notice will be issued. The board will never allow any kind of involvement with any betting site. We've already said that," Nazmul Hassan said.