Bangladesh cricket crisis: BPL to resume after day-long drama as sacked BCB director Najmul Islam apologises

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh’s cricketers are set to return to action in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025–26 after a turbulent day that saw players boycott matches, force administrative action from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and ultimately accept a public apology from controversial director Najmul Islam.

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The standoff ended late Thursday following a tripartite meeting involving the BCB and the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), with players agreeing to resume participation from Friday after Najmul was stripped of his role as chairman of the board’s finance committee and issued a public apology for his remarks.




The crisis erupted after Najmul made a series of incendiary comments earlier in the week. He labelled former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” for suggesting dialogue between the two cricket boards to resolve the T20 World Cup venue deadlock triggered by Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026 on BCCI instructions. Najmul further inflamed tensions by suggesting that the BCB owed players no compensation if they missed the T20 World Cup, pointing to the team’s failure to win major trophies.

The remarks drew sharp condemnation from players, who announced a boycott of all forms of cricket and demanded Najmul’s removal from the board. The protest forced the postponement of the scheduled BPL match between Noakhali Express and Chattogram Royals at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.


CWAB president Mohammad Mithun said the players had been left with no choice. “We will only play after they meet our demands. Everything has a limit. He has crossed everything. I didn’t find any respect for cricket from his words,” Mithun told reporters in Dhaka. “We don’t think he should remain in this position. As a cricket board director, what does he want to do?”

Under mounting pressure, the BCB announced on Thursday that Najmul had been relieved of his responsibilities as finance committee chairman with immediate effect, citing the need to protect the smooth functioning of the board. Aminul Islam has been appointed as his replacement, while the BCB president will act as interim chairman of the committee.

In a statement, the board stressed that “the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority” and urged players to continue showing professionalism and dedication during a challenging period.

The breakthrough came after Najmul issued a public apology, which CWAB agreed to accept. “We welcome the decision to remove Mr. Najmul Islam from the Finance Committee,” Mithun said. “Since he has publicly apologised and the formal process regarding his directorship is ongoing, we are ready to return to the field and resume playing.”

As a result, the BPL will resume with revised dates, drawing a line under a dramatic 24 hours that brought Bangladesh cricket to a standstill before an uneasy truce restored order.


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