Tensions surrounding Bangladesh’s domestic cricket structure escalated this week, as senior officials from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) firmly dismissed any possibility of a breakaway or “rebel” league forming outside official jurisdiction. According to a report by Daily Sun, the pushback came amid a chaotic start to the 2025–26 Dhaka First Division Cricket League, where several clubs failed to show up for their matches, triggering walkovers and a two-day rescheduling.
The speculation gained traction after eight teams stayed away from their scheduled fixtures, leaving the league’s structure in question. In response, BCB Vice President Faruque Ahmed took a definitive stand against any notion of an independent tournament run outside of the board’s authority.
Speaking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Faruque said, “If they organize it themselves, then there is actually no need for the cricket board. You know then there would be no need for the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and no need for the ICC either. What would be the need for the International Cricket Council? India could decide whether to play Pakistan or everyone else—then there would be no need for any governing body at all.”
Governing authority cannot be bypassed, says Faruque
Faruque, a former national team cricketer, underlined the critical importance of operating within an authorized framework. He warned that removing the BCB from the equation would destabilize the sport’s structure, not just in Bangladesh, but globally.
“So for any sport there is a governing body, a committee. That governing body for Bangladesh is the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” he added, reinforcing the idea that legitimacy in cricket cannot exist without institutional oversight.
The comments came following a Victory Day exhibition match between Shaheed Mushtaq XI and Shaheed Jewel XI at the same venue, which was attended by key BCB and Dhaka Metropolis cricket committee officials.
CCDM echoes concerns over unauthorized league
Later that evening, Adnan Rahman Dipon, chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), echoed similar views and cast doubt on the viability of any parallel tournament organized without BCB approval.
“If it’s just Sunday cricket or Friday cricket, then yes, that can be done. But who organises an official cricket league? CCDM does it, by the Board. If the clubs want to organise a separate league on their own, who will the ICC approve— the Board’s league or theirs? I’m leaving that question myself,” Dipon told Daily Sun.
As the rescheduled league prepares to continue in the coming days, the BCB appears resolute in its stance that any cricket outside the board’s framework will not be recognized, and that official administrative channels remain the only path forward for organized competition in Bangladesh.
