The announcement was confirmed on Wednesday during a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
The council has decided to begin the tournament on 19 December in Sylhet, with the final likely to be held on 16 January.
At the press conference, BPL Governing Council member secretary Iftikhar Rahman Mithu said, “The cricket board decided to increase the number of teams keeping local players in mind. Scheduling was also an issue, as preparing a daily two-match schedule with only five teams was difficult.”
The new franchise joining the BPL is Noakhali Express, owned by the transportation company Desh Travels. Previously, five-year ownership rights were given to Dhaka Capitals (Champion Sports), Rangpur Riders (Toggi Sports), Chattogram Royals (Triangle Services), Rajshahi Warriors (Nabil Group), and Sylhet Titans (Cricket With Sami).
Mithu also revealed that four of the six teams have already submitted their bank guarantees, though he did not disclose which four have complied or which two are yet to do so.
Meanwhile, this year’s BPL team recruitment will follow an auction model, returning to the format after a decade. The auction, postponed twice already, is scheduled to be held on 30 November.
Meanwhile, the event management responsibility for the BPL has been awarded to IMG, the same company that has worked with the IPL for three years.
BCB signed a three-year contract with IMG, which will take effect from the next edition of the BPL. Although the BCB had initially considered a short-term arrangement with IMG for this season, the company will not be involved in the upcoming BPL starting 19 December.
Before the action begins on the field, the BCB plans to hold the opening ceremony of the new BPL season in Dhaka on 17 December.
Additionally, for the 12th edition of the BPL, it has been decided to design a new trophy to replace the previous one.
