First Division Cricket League kickoff set for December 14

FE Team | Published: December 12, 2025 00:08:03

Bangladesh Cricket Board officials warned protesting clubs that they would have to look for alternatives to start the First Division League on December 14 if they continued their boycott of cricket, reports cricbuzz.
The warning came during a joint press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
BCB Vice-President Faruque Ahmed, Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) Chairman Adnan Rahman Dipon, BCB Director Shanian Taneem and newly appointed BCB media committee Vice-Chairman Mokhsedul Kamal Babu. Following unrest after the recent BCB election, protests broke out in Dhaka's club cricket with a group of club organisers alleging the election was biased and influenced by the government. At one stage, as many as 45 of the 72 clubs across various divisions publicly aligned with the protest movement and announced a boycott of all CCDM-run competitions.
The standoff put the domestic calendar in uncertainty, with organisers forced to postpone the First Division League multiple times after failing to convince the protesting club officials.
Faruque said the board was determined to start the First Division League on December 14 and warned that any club failing to take part would face consequences under the bylaws, which allow for teams to be scrapped from the league and demoted to the next tier.
"Before the tournament starts, every team receives the bylaws. Everything is clearly written there - what applies, what happens in which situation. There is nothing new to inform. The playing conditions and the bylaws that are sent to the participating teams explain very clearly what will happen if a team doesn't take part in the league," Faruque told reporters at Mirpur on Wednesday.
He added that further delays would only harm cricket and the players, stressing that lost time cannot be recovered once the season window passes and that the BCB has a responsibility to keep cricket going irrespective of administrative disputes.
"If club cricket does not take place, there will still be tournaments. The board will obviously find a way to keep the players on the field. The board won't sit idle. If the league does not happen, we must bring cricket back - Victory Day cricket or various other formats will be arranged so that the players can play. But then the clubs' demands won't stand," he said.
Faruque also praised former national captain Tamim Iqbal for his "mature and responsible" stance during the dispute. Tamim, who has been an influential figure among the club organisers opposing the current board, has urged his club Old DOHS Sports Club to take part in the upcoming First Division League rather than risk players' futures.
"We welcomed Tamim in the board's press release. We welcome him again for his dedication to the game," Faruque said. "Tamim also realised that not having cricket is extremely damaging - for Bangladesh cricket and for the players. There can be nothing more harmful than that." BCB and CCDM officials confirmed that they will go ahead with the Dhaka First Division Cricket League from December 14. The opening fixture is expected to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, marking the formal start of the season despite the ongoing standoff.
"The First Division League was supposed to start on the 11th. Due to some ground complications, we are starting on the 14th. We will publish the fixtures today, and we are trying to host the opening match at the Mirpur Stadium," Dipon said.
Dipon also clarified that, despite public statements from several clubs declaring a boycott, neither the BCB nor the CCDM has received any formal letter confirming withdrawal.
"Officially, we will keep all 20 teams because we have only received verbal messages regarding the boycott. So we are publishing the fixtures with all 20 teams included," he said.
As of Wednesday, clubs ready to participate include Shinepukur Cricket Club, Uttara Cricket Club, Bangladesh Police Cricket Club, Sheikh Jamal Cricketers, Lalmatia Club, Bashundhara Riders, Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club, Old DOHS Sports Club, Dhaka Spartans Cricket Club, Blues Cricketers, Baridhara Dazzles and BKSP.