Seven-month BCB-club deadlock leaves Dhaka leagues stalled and Bangladesh cricketers in financial distress

remains gridlocked, with the Dhaka Premier League still stalled and over 1,200 cricketers facing financial uncertainty. The deadlock between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Dhaka clubs has now spread across multiple tiers of the domestic pyramid, disrupting what remains the principal source of income for a large section of the country’s professional players.

The most serious concern is the continued delay of the Dhaka Premier Division, the flagship competition in the four-tier Dhaka system. The First and Second Division tournaments have already been hit by organized boycotts, while the Third Division is also showing similar signs of collapse. Amid growing frustration from players on social media, the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) remains the only stakeholder visibly pushing for an immediate resolution.

Election dispute at heart of boycott

The crisis traces back to the BCB elections held in October last year, which several Dhaka clubs refused to recognize. Thirty-nine clubs have since boycotted the league system, arguing that the present board lacks legitimacy after what they allege were irregularities in the electoral process.

As club leader Sabbir Ahmed said:

"We consider this cricket board as illegal."

The boycott first impacted the First Division in December, when eight teams refused to play on the opening day, reducing the competition from 20 teams to 12. The same pattern followed in the Second Division in January, with half of the 24 teams staying away. By late March, the Third Division coordination meeting reportedly drew responses from only five sides, while 15 others signalled another boycott.

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Players bear the financial burden

CWAB president Mohammad Mithun underlined the scale of the disruption, stressing the Dhaka league’s central role in Bangladesh’s cricket economy. He said: 

"The Dhaka league is the main source of income for Bangladesh's professional cricketers. It is not just a financial boost for the players but it also provides the experience of handling pressure on and off the field. There are about 1500 to 1600 players who are taking part in this competition together."

While some clubs insist advance payments were already made to core squad members, the prolonged stoppage has left a large number of male and female cricketers without match fees or seasonal earnings. Mithun maintained that CWAB continues to mediate between both sides, even as frustration grows over the BCB’s lack of urgency and the clubs’ refusal to compromise, leaving Bangladesh’s biggest domestic competition trapped in administrative paralysis.