Dhaka: The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will not take place this year as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) undertakes a comprehensive restructuring of its flagship T20 tournament, board president Tamim Iqbal announced on Thursday.

The decision stems from widespread regulatory breaches by several franchises, unpaid player dues, and unfulfilled bank guarantee commitments. Financial losses have also mounted, with the BCB incurring deficits of roughly $3.3 million over the last two editions of the league.

Addressing the media, Tamim Iqbal highlighted the commercial potential of the league while emphasizing the need for fiscal responsibility.

"The BPL will not happen this year," Tamim said. "The BPL is a great product and there is a lot of interest in it. If we can do it properly, the interest will increase even more."

He reinforced the board's stance against running the event at a loss:

"BCB is supposed to make a profit from franchise cricket, not a loss. So until we fix this, holding a tournament at a loss is not important," he noted. "Our intention is 1,000 percent to host BPL. But I do not want to rush. I want to do it properly; if it takes six months or 12 months, I will take that time."

Tamim, who was recently named chairman of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) newly established Franchise League Committee, indicated that addressing the BPL's internal struggles sets an important precedent.

"If franchise cricket does not run properly in my country, then stopping it, and rebuilding it, will be a big message for my committee," he stated.

The announcement was made during the launch event for the Game Development (GD) Trophy, a fresh competition featuring Bangladesh's under-17, under-19, and under-23 squads.

To prevent future disruptions, the BCB has opened dialogue with current team owners and plans to finalise the franchise allocation process by April or May next year. This extended timeline will allow the board to secure replacement management should any franchise default. Tamim also confirmed that the board remains open to welcoming foreign owners and investors into the league structure. (PTI)