A major scandal has hit the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suspended multiple officials, players, and even franchise owners. These personnel were found guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Participants following investigations carried out by the BCB Integrity Unit.
According to a statement, the charges are linked to alleged corrupt conduct, betting activities, obstruction of investigations, and failures to cooperate with anti-corruption officials during the 12th edition of the BPL.
BCB takes strict action against players, officials & franchise owners
The BCB revealed that the investigations involved alleged betting-related activities, corrupt approaches, deletion of evidence, and non-compliance with official notices issued under anti-corruption regulations.
Among those charged was Md. Towhidul Haque Towhid, who was accused of failing to cooperate with investigators and obstructing the anti-corruption probe.
Domestic cricketer Amit Mojumder and team manager Rezwan Kabir Siddique were charged under Article 2.2.1 of the Anti-Corruption Code for allegedly placing or participating in bets related to cricket matches.
The BCB confirmed that all charged participants have been provisionally suspended and handed 14 days to respond to the allegations.
“The charges arise out of investigations conducted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board Integrity Unit (BCBIU) in relation to alleged corrupt conduct, betting activities, failures to cooperate with anti-corruption investigations, and obstruction of investigations connected to the Bangladesh Premier League T20 (BPL T20), 12th Edition,” the BCB said in a statement quoted by Cricbuzz.
One individual globally banned as BCB vows tougher crackdown
The BCB also imposed an Exclusion Order against Saminur Rahman after investigations uncovered alleged links to betting networks and corrupt activities across multiple BPL seasons.
According to the board, the probe revealed alleged communication with domestic and international betting syndicates, approaches to players and agents, and involvement in facilitating corrupt conduct in cricket matches.
Alex Marshall praised the progress made by the Integrity Unit and confirmed that further investigations are ongoing.
“Today marks an important milestone in the work to protect cricket in Bangladesh,” Marshall said.
“One person has been declared an Excluded Person, which means they are barred from all cricketing activities globally. This exclusion was imposed following the discovery of irrefutable evidence of long-term corrupt activities in cricket, including match fixing and extensive contact and money transfers with foreign bookies.”
Marshall also warned that additional charges could emerge in the coming weeks as the Integrity Unit continues its investigations into corruption linked to the BPL.