Bangladesh’s two top sporting bodies, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), have failed to pay the National Sports Council (NSC) its due share of gate receipts and broadcast revenues, despite repeated requests. As a result, the NSC has formally notified the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the issue.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to Sports Secretary Mahbub Ul Alam, NSC Executive Director Md Aminul Islam stated that both organisations are required to pay 15 percent of ticket revenue and 10 percent of broadcast rights income to the NSC. These provisions are based on a 1991 cabinet decision and a 2008 directive from the NSC chairman.
The NSC had written to the BCB on 9 April, requesting payment of all dues from the 2022–23 financial year to the present. However, more than four months later, the board has neither responded nor cleared the outstanding payments.
The BFF, meanwhile, hosted two international matches in early June against Bhutan and Singapore at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Both fixtures generated significant income through ticket sales. Yet, over two months later, the NSC has not received its share of the gate money or any broadcast revenue.
As the government body responsible for managing national sports infrastructure and supervising federations, the NSC operates under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. It has maintained that these payments are its rightful entitlement, but both the BCB and BFF continue to ignore their obligations.
Between 2007 and 2022, the BCB paid a total of 2 crore 42 lakh 47 thousand 347 taka to the NSC. However, the council believes the actual amount owed is considerably higher, particularly since the BCB has never paid any share of its broadcast income.
Notably, BCB’s current president, Aminul Islam Bulbul, is the NSC-nominated director on the board. His predecessor, former national captain Faruk Ahmed, also served in the same role. Despite having NSC representation in these key positions, the council has faced continued difficulty in recovering what it is owed.