Durbar Rajshahi apologise for payment delay after players boycott training session

Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Durbar Rajshahi has issued a public apology for the delayed payment of fees to their players.

The franchise has committed to clearing 50% of the pending payments by January 16.

The issue surfaced on January 15 when the team’s cricketers canceled their training session in protest over unpaid dues.

Local players led the demonstration, forcing the franchise to address their grievances. Training resumed on Thursday (January 16), though pacer Taskin Ahmed was absent due to workload management.

The franchise had previously paid 25% of the salaries for overseas players and coaching staff after their fourth match on January 6. However, the payments for local players were delayed, leading to the boycott.

BCB President Faruque Ahmed intervened by convening a Zoom meeting with board directors and later visiting the team hotel.

Discussions were held with Rajshahi officials, captain Anamul Haque and several players to resolve the matter.

Jayed Ahmed, the franchise’s operations in-charge, publicly apologized for the delays but denied that the canceled practice was related to the payment issue.

"We are committed, from the team management to all cricketers, that we will pay them by January 16, and the canceled practice is not related to it," Jayed said in a statement provided by the team management on Wednesday.

Jayed further elaborated, "When we came here from Chattogram, some cricketers got off in Dhaka to rest, and we didn't have the whole team in Chattogram. Some of them arrived last night, while others came today. One or two cricketers are yet to arrive. The cricketers wanted rest, so the team management gave them rest. They will get the payment by January 16, and there is no doubt about it."

"We were late in making the payment, and we cannot deny it. We apologize to everyone for it because this shouldn't have happened. We will give the payment tomorrow (Thursday), and since the next two days are government holidays, we will pay 25% in cash while the remaining 25% will be paid by cheque. We will pay off 50% by tomorrow," he added.

BCB Director Manjur Alam addressed the media in Chattogram, stating that an emergency board meeting had been convened to handle the situation.

"I am speaking on behalf of the BCB president. The board president called an emergency board meeting on Zoom. I was physically present, while the other directors were online. Negotiations are in progress," Manjur said.

"Hopefully, we can come to a solution tomorrow. The president spoke directly to the team owners, captain, and players. We have a positive vibe from all parties. They will attend practice tomorrow, which is the most positive part of the negotiations," he added.

The BPL governing council mandates that franchises pay players 50% of their fees before the tournament starts, 25% during the tournament and the remaining 25% after its conclusion.

However, it was revealed that some local players in the Rajshahi camp also faced irregularities in receiving daily allowances.

Durbar Rajshahi has announced a practice session at M. A. Aziz Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday at 10 a.m., ahead of their next-phase opener against Sylhet Strikers, scheduled for January 17.