Controversy Strikes BPL: Chattogram Royals vs Noakhali Express Affected by Boycott

The situation in Bangladesh is getting worse, and this has affected cricket as well. The controversy struck the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26, which was host to two games on Thursday, January 15. The first match of the BPL 2025-26 on Thursday was between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express. The match was supposed to start at 1:00 pm local time, with the toss supposed to begin at 12:30 PM local time. However, the match didn’t begin.

This is because the players of Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express didn’t reach the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. This caught the attention of many after the BPL Match Delayed hogged the headlines on Thursday, as BPL is counted among the biggest cricket leagues in the world.

Chattogram Royals vs Noakhali Express Boycott

The Chattogram Royals vs Noakhali Express Boycott comes after the matches in the Dhaka Cricket League did not begin. This has been due to the player boycott threatened by the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh, which came into effect last evening. Speaking on the BPL Match Boycott, Shipar Ahmed, match referee of the Chattogram-Noakhali match, told that they were not aware of what was happening and they were waiting in the middle of the ground. He said: "We are standing in the middle of the ground. We don't know what's happening. The BPL technical committee can tell you better."

Players of Both Teams Demand Resignation of M Nazmul

The player boycott threatened by the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh came into effect after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director M Nazmul Islam made some comments against Bangladesh cricketers, in particular Tamim Iqbal. He called Iqbal an “Indian agent” for trying to mediate talks between the BCB, the ICC and the BCCI amid the T20 World Cup 2026 controversy. These comments didn’t go well with players of Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express.

Both demanded the resignation of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director M Nazmul, and only after that will they take the field. It remains to be seen whether the BCB head steps down or if players continue to boycott the games in the Bangladesh Premier League. On the sidelines, BCB released an official statement, apologising for the comments made by their official. They also issued a show-cause notice to its director, M Nazmul Islam, over his "objectionable comments" and said:

Meanwhile, Cricketers Welfare Association President Mohammad Mithun will address the press conference related to the boycott.