Bangladesh Sports Minister Calls for Annual BPL as Board Reviews Tournament Future

Bangladesh's state minister for youth and sports, Aminul Haque, has called for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) to be held every year, despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board's decision not to stage the tournament this year.

Aminul said the government would meet with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to discuss the league's future after learning from the media that the upcoming edition had been postponed.

The BCB, led by president Tamim Iqbal, had decided against hosting the BPL until financial and organisational issues affecting the tournament's credibility are addressed. While the franchises supported the decision as part of wider reforms, the postponement raised concerns among players, for whom the BPL is an important source of income.

The BCB subsequently increased domestic match fees to provide greater financial security for cricketers during the absence of the franchise tournament.

Aminul stressed that the BPL's popularity makes it important for the competition to return on a regular basis.“I think a tournament like the BPL should be held every year,” Aminul said.

He added that the reasons behind the postponement would need to be discussed and indicated that the government would monitor the tournament's organisation to ensure it is held regularly in the future.

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