The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Durbar Rajshahi has issued an apology for the delay in player payments and committed to settling 50% of the outstanding dues by January 16. The apology came after local players protested, leading to the cancellation of a training session in Chattogram on January 15.
The protest was sparked by frustration over unpaid fees, prompting the players to boycott practice. However, the players returned to training on January 16, except for Taskin Ahmed, who was absent due to workload management.
Overseas players and coaching staff had already received 25% of their payments after the team’s fourth match on January 6, but local cricketers had not been paid, which led to the disruption in training. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Faruque Ahmed intervened and held discussions with Rajshahi officials, including captain Anamul Haque and several players, via Zoom and at the team hotel.
Jayed Ahmed, the franchise’s operations in charge, publicly apologized for the delayed payments but clarified that the canceled practice session was not directly related to the payment issue. He explained that some players had rested in Dhaka, causing a delay in the full team’s arrival in Chattogram. He assured 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.
BCB director Manjur Alam spoke to the media in Chattogram, stating 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 the tournament, and the remaining 25% after. It is reported that some local players also faced issues with their daily allowances not being paid regularly.
Despite these 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.
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