|| CF DESK ||

The 11th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to kick off soon, but despite completing 10 seasons, the country’s only franchise-based T20 tournament continues to struggle with controversies and criticisms.

This year, with the support of Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Faruque Ahmed is aiming to put an end to the controversies and deliver a fresh, reformed BPL. The focus is on increasing public engagement with the tournament, following the strategic guidance of the Chief Advisor, Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

In preparation for the South Africa series and the BPL, Sports Advisor visited Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium today. He held a meeting with Faruque and other officials, including security personnel. During the meeting, BCB’s BPL department presented a new concept for the revamped BPL to the Sports Advisor.

“We are exploring ways to enhance public engagement with BPL in the current era. Interest in BPL has declined compared to previous seasons, and we want to present the tournament in a more appealing way,” Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, Asif Mahmud said.

He further mentioned that BCB would play a crucial role in this revamp, while also emphasizing the significance of utilizing Dr. Yunus's experience, particularly in event design. Dr. Yunus, who has contributed to events like last Olympics, has provided some innovative ideas to increase public involvement in BPL.

This vision led the Sports Advisor to introduce BCB officials to Dr. Yunus, who immediately shared some ideas to increase public engagement and bring innovation to the BPL. The BPL department at BCB created an initial presentation based on those suggestions. In the next few days, BCB will have further discussions with Dr. Yunus's team to finalize the plans.

“BCB has presented ideas on how to make BPL more internationally recognized and incorporate new elements. Sir [Dr. Yunus] has also shared some more detailed ideas, and we will meet again in a couple of days. We want to revamp this season’s BPL and bring new energy to domestic cricket.”

While specific details were not fully revealed during the press conference, it was hinted that celebrities and legendary cricketers would be involved to boost public interest and engagement.

BCB President then stated, “A fresh start is always possible, and we can improve from there. We have some excellent ideas, and we will try our best to implement them. You will definitely see something new in this year’s BPL, and it will engage everyone, from the audience to the media, making them feel connected to the tournament.”