The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s integrity team says it has uncovered “credible suspicion” of wrongdoing during this season’s Bangladesh Premier League. In response, officers have questioned several overseas players and temporarily seized mobile phones from franchise staff. No one has been charged and no formal investigation is under way, yet the methods have unsettled at least two teams.
“As part of standard integrity procedures, several foreign players have been spoken to privately as witnesses in order to verify recruitment processes, contractual arrangements, and payment structures,” a BCB release explained. “Such meetings are confidential and preventive in nature, and do not imply that any player is under investigation or has already been found guilty.”
That clarification has not entirely eased concerns. Dhaka Capitals chief executive Atik Fahad was visibly frustrated after integrity officials entered the hotel room of Afghanistan batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz in Sylhet last weekend.
“The anti-corruption unit should have at least considered this before going to such a player, but this type of behaviour with a big player is something neither he can accept nor can we accept,” Fahad told reporters. “Going into the room of a big foreign player – someone who is playing in the ILT20 and elsewhere – and creating trouble like that.”
Fahad went further, pointing to financial losses and the mental strain on his squad. “If the management is not content mentally, if my players are not content, what better result can we expect? We are running the BPL while losing BDT 2-3 crore every year. On top of that, if we are mentally tortured like this, I don’t know how we can stay competitive or continue to operate a franchise. If this situation continues, we won’t have the courage to continue at all. I invest money, absorb losses, bring CSR funds from different companies, and then leave with humiliation. That is simply not possible.”
Officials from Noakhali Express said their personnel were also questioned and have filed a protest about the tone of the interviews. Neither franchise alleges match-fixing, yet both argue the manner of the checks risks undermining player morale.
The board, for its part, remains firm. “Such measures by the BCB IU [integrity unit] are part of BCB’s zero-tolerance policy and drive against corrupt cricketing activities,” the statement continued. “The BCB IU operates in accordance with the general processes under the prevailing anti-corruption code of the ICC. Therefore, there has been no violation of the rights of any player or franchisee personnel by the BCB IU team in any way.”
According to the BCB, tightened surveillance has already delivered “an approximately 80% reduction in alerts relating to suspicious activities”. The governing body believes that statistic justifies the occasional uncomfortable conversation in a hotel corridor.
Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud, who is not involved with the integrity unit, sees both sides. “Players deserve respect, but the game’s credibility is non-negotiable,” he said. “If an officer asks a few awkward questions now, it may prevent a much bigger scandal later.”
For the moment, the league continues with all franchises still on the field. Whether Dhaka Capitals and Noakhali Express feel assured enough to return next season may depend on how smoothly – and discreetly – the next round of routine checks unfolds.
