Bangladesh’s sports ministry announced on Monday that Durbar Rajshahi owner Shafiqur Rahman has committed to clearing the team’s outstanding dues to players by February 10. Payments will be made in three instalments of 25% each on February 3, 7, and 10.
This comes after government advisor Asif Mahmud warned Rahman of consequences if payments were not settled. A fact-finding committee has also been formed to investigate the non-payment issue, marking an unusual intervention from the ministry in a BPL matter.
Rahman admitted his fault and assured that players, as well as all team staff, would receive their payments as scheduled. If not, legal action will be taken against him, the ministry’s statement read.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi’s overseas players have been stranded at their team hotel in Dhaka due to unpaid wages. Pakistan’s Mohammad Haris, Afghanistan’s Aftab Alam, West Indies’ Mark Deyal and Miguel Cummins, and Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl have been awaiting partial payments. Some received 25%, while others got nothing. Adding to their woes, the team’s bus driver reportedly held players’ kit bags as collateral over his own unpaid wages.
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Burl was the first to secure an air ticket and left early Monday, while Haris is set to depart in the afternoon. The remaining players are scheduled to leave within two days.
Rajshahi has faced financial troubles throughout the BPL season. Local players had earlier protested unpaid wages by boycotting training in Chattogram, while overseas players even skipped a match. Though some players, including Burl and Haris, eventually played to keep Rajshahi’s playoff hopes alive, the team missed out on qualification due to net run rate.
