Just a day before the highly anticipated players’ auction for the 12th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a dramatic development has sent shockwaves through the nation’s cricket fraternity. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has removed seven local cricketers from the final auction list after they were “red-flagged” for suspected involvement in fixing-related irregularities in the previous season.
The move stems from recommendations made by Alex Marshall, the Independent Chair of BCB’s Integrity Unit, who urged the board to exclude any individuals — players or officials — whose names appeared in the inquiry committee’s suspicious activity list. The sudden exclusion has raised intense debate and amplified scrutiny on BCB’s internal processes and accountability.
According to internal documents, the initial draft list shared with franchises on November 26 included these seven players, but they were subsequently dropped before finalization. This leaves 158 local cricketers and 267 overseas players eligible to go under the hammer.
Among those excluded, the two notable names are Anamul Haque Bijoy and Mosaddek Hossain, both veteran players with experience across all formats for Bangladesh. Their omission from the auction has sparked widespread reaction, as neither player had been publicly accused of any offence nor notified before the decision was made.
Bijoy told reporters he was “shocked and disappointed,” adding that he is considering legal action if the board fails to provide evidence behind his exclusion.
“No one has contacted me. No call, no explanation. What proof do they have? If they can’t show any, they must restore my reputation,” he said.
The other excluded players include Alauddin Babu, Nihaduzzaman, Sunzamul Islam, Shafiul Islam, and Mizanur Rahman — spanning multiple draft categories. The BCB clarified that the decision affects only the BPL and does not bar these players from participating in other domestic competitions.
Despite the criticism, BPL Governing Council member Iftekhar Rahman Mithu defended the decision strongly.
“We have the full authority to decide who appears on the list. Anyone flagged or under investigation cannot be included. This is within our jurisdiction,” he stated.
Mithu added that any player who believes they were unfairly flagged has access to appeal processes — though critics argue the appeal mechanism remains vague and not player-friendly.
The controversy deepened due to BCB’s ongoing silence regarding the nature of the allegations or the specific evidence against these players. Many from the cricketing community have questioned the fairness of imposing such a significant penalty before completing official procedures or offering the accused a chance to respond.
Under heavy scrutiny and public pressure, BCB later added several domestic performers — such as Mohammad Rubel, Iftakhar Hossain Ifti, Tawfique Khan Tushar, and Nuhayel Sandeed — to the final list. Some players were also shifted across categories to balance the pool.
This entire saga traces back to February 3, when BCB formed a three-member Independent Evaluation Committee to investigate the previous BPL season. After nine months, the committee submitted a staggering 900-page report detailing operational failures, suspicious behaviour patterns, and loopholes exploited during the tournament.
As the auction proceeds under this cloud of controversy, two questions dominate discussions:
Is BCB’s decision an essential step toward cleaning up the league — or has it unfairly tarnished players without due process?
Only time, and possibly legal scrutiny, will uncover the full truth.