In a significant development, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh conducted a surprise inspection at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) headquarters in Mirpur. The raid took place on Tuesday, April 15, as part of an investigation into multiple allegations involving financial irregularities and mismanagement.
Mirpur Raided by Anti-Corruption Unit Investigates Ticket Sales and League Selection Process
The ACC’s three-member probe team visited the BCB office to gather official documents and records related to the charges. Following the operation, a press briefing was held where BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury was present alongside the ACC officials.
The core of the investigation includes accusations surrounding ticket revenue during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and suspected financial mismanagement linked to cricket-related events connected to the “Mujib 100” celebrations—an initiative that was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another focal point of the investigation is the controversial rule changes in the 2023 Third Division Qualifying competition. These events took place during the leadership of former BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who stepped down in August last year and was succeeded by Faruque Ahmed.
“We came today to carry out an enforcement operation based on complaints of corruption in the selection process for various cricket leagues under the BCB,” said Mahmudul Hasan, a senior ACC official. “The complaints involve suspected illegal transactions and other irregularities, especially regarding team selection in the Third Division Qualifying round.”
Mahmudul also highlighted inconsistencies in the ticket sales for the BPL. According to the documents, while eight seasons (from the 3rd to 10th editions) had generated around 15 crore taka in total, the 11th edition alone brought in nearly 13 crore taka. This sharp rise has raised further questions about the transparency of past transactions.
He added, “In earlier years, the application fee for team registration was Tk 5 lakh. That limited the number of applicants. But when the fee was reduced to Tk 1 lakh, around 60 teams applied. We’ve collected all related documents and will continue to investigate.”
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh men’s cricket team is gearing up for a return to action after a disappointing Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, where they exited in the group stage following losses to India and New Zealand. The team will now focus on the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, beginning Sunday, April 20. The matches are scheduled to take place in Sylhet and Chattogram.
