Unpaid Salaries in BPL: Bus Driver Holds Kit Bags as Collateral

Sports Desk

The Durbar Rajshahi franchise in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) continues to make headlines for its failure to clear payments. Not only have players been left unpaid, but daily allowances were also withheld, forcing them to spend their own money during the tournament. Even after their elimination, law enforcement had to intervene to extract promises of payment from the franchise owner.

It has now emerged that the team failed to pay not just the players but even the driver of the team bus.

After the team was knocked out, reports surfaced that foreign players like Mohammad Haris, Aftab Alam, Mark Deyal, Ryan Burl, and Miguel Cummins were stranded at a Dhaka hotel, awaiting their return flights. They had also gone 11 days without receiving their daily allowances.

According to BPL norms, players are supposed to receive 25% of their fees before the tournament begins, with 75% to be paid by February 7 and the remaining by March 8. However, payment delays have been widespread.

A report by Cricbuzz highlighted the bus driver’s unusual protest. The driver locked the players’ kit bags and belongings inside the bus, refusing to release them until his overdue payment was made.

“It’s both unfortunate and shameful,” said Rajshahi’s bus driver, Mohammad Babul. “If they paid us, we’d return the players’ kit bags. I’ve stayed quiet until now, but we can’t leave until our dues are cleared.”

He added, “The local and foreign players’ kit bags are in the bus, but I can’t release them because a significant part of our payment is still outstanding.”