After a long absence, Chattogram’s franchise returned to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) under the name Chattogram Kings. The ownership remained with the controversial Samir Quader Chowdhury, who had previously faced allegations over unpaid wages during his earlier tenure. Despite this history, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reached an agreement to facilitate the team’s re-entry into the league. Yet the same problems have resurfaced, with the Kings and Chowdhury again making headlines for wage-related disputes.
On 9 August, following a BCB board meeting, director Iftekhar Rahman Mithu announced that the board would settle unpaid bills owed by the Kings from the last season, covering coaches, players and hotel costs. Prior to that, the BCB had sent Chowdhury a legal notice demanding 46 crore taka in dues. In response, Chowdhury claimed on Monday that it was the BCB, not his team, that had done the most to make the BPL controversial.
Among the allegations against him are outstanding payments to the team’s overseas host Yasha Sagar, mentor Shahid Afridi and coach Shaun Tait.
Speaking at a press conference at a Gulshan restaurant on Monday evening, Chowdhury said: “They gave me a legal notice for 46 crore taka without my knowledge. I had already informed them about these matters myself. It is the BCB that has made the BPL most controversial, and I cite this 46 crore taka notice as proof.”
On how the figure was calculated, he said: “I have no answer as to how it became 46 crore. I spoke with the BCB president two or three times but he was busy. He said he would sit with me and discuss it, but then went abroad. I received the notice about a month ago. I have said nothing from my side until now.”
Following the legal notice, strong rumours have circulated that Chowdhury will not be granted a team in the upcoming BPL. He voiced his frustration, questioning why the BCB was looking to replace him before resolving the current dispute.
“I spoke with one director about not getting a team,” he said. “I told him, you have not resolved things with me, so how can you bring in someone else? I have a document from 2018, a High Court stay order. Either I will enforce it, or the BCB will. They are asking me for 46 crore taka. Without settling with me, why are you bringing in another party?”
The 2018 stay order was related to outstanding payments. Before the most recent BPL season, the Kings’ owners reached a settlement with former BCB president Faruque Ahmed for 3.5 crore taka. Chowdhury has questioned how the amount has since risen to 46 crore.