Bangladesh Cricket Board cracks down on corruption as integrity unit files first major charges linked to BPL and NCL investigations

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The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has charged four individuals, including a domestic cricketer, for alleged breaches of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The board has also imposed a lifetime ban on Saminur Rahman, a former associate of Chattogram Royals, following an extensive corruption investigation linked to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and National Cricket League (NCL) T20 tournaments.

The charges mark the first major action taken by the BCB’s Integrity Unit since its establishment in November 2025, highlighting the board’s intensified efforts to combat corruption and betting-related activities in Bangladesh cricket.

According to a BCB statement released on Thursday, domestic cricketer Amit Majumder, team managers Lablur Rahman and Rezwan Kabir Siddique, along with Noakhali Express co-owner Towhidul Haque, have been charged with multiple offences under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The allegations include betting-related activities, corrupt approaches, failure to cooperate with investigators, concealment and deletion of evidence, and non-compliance with official notices issued by the anti-corruption authorities.

All four individuals have been provisionally suspended with immediate effect and have been given 14 days to respond to the allegations.

Alex Marshall, the independent chair of the BCB Integrity Unit, described the development as a crucial step in protecting the integrity of cricket in Bangladesh.

“Today marks an important milestone in the work to protect cricket in Bangladesh,” Marshall said. “The charged individuals can either accept the charges and agree to sanctions or request a tribunal hearing. Further investigations are ongoing, and additional charges are likely in the coming months.”

Marshall also confirmed that one individual has been declared an “Excluded Person,” effectively banning him from all cricket-related activities worldwide. The punishment came after investigators reportedly uncovered strong evidence of long-term corrupt activities, including alleged match-fixing operations and financial dealings with foreign bookmakers.

Investigations reportedly covered the 2025-26 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League as well as multiple National Cricket League T20 competitions held since 2024.

Veteran domestic cricketer Amit Majumder, who has played domestic cricket for nearly 18 years, has been charged under Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which relates to placing or participating in bets connected to cricket matches. Although Majumder never featured in the BPL, investigators allegedly discovered betting activity involving BPL and IPL matches.

Rezwan Kabir Siddique, who served as Sylhet Titans’ manager during the 2025-26 BPL season, was reportedly removed from his role after the franchise was contacted by the BCB Integrity Unit regarding the investigation.

Meanwhile, Towhidul Haque and Lablur Rahman face charges under Articles 2.4.6 and 2.4.7, relating to failure to cooperate with anti-corruption investigations and alleged obstruction of inquiries through deletion or concealment of important communications and information.

In a separate but significant development, Saminur Rahman received a lifetime ban under the BCB’s “Excluded Person Policy,” a relatively new regulation designed to permanently remove individuals involved in serious corruption-related activities even if they are not officially attached to teams or tournaments.

The BCB stated that Saminur’s investigation uncovered alleged betting activities, corrupt approaches to players and agents, and communication with domestic and international betting networks connected to multiple editions of the BPL.

The board further revealed that Saminur waived his right to contest the allegations and accepted the exclusion order.

The “Excluded Person” policy is considered a strong anti-corruption measure and Bangladesh is reportedly only the second cricket board globally to implement such a regulation.

The BCB Integrity Unit is currently led by Alex Marshall alongside a dedicated investigation team and legal experts, including Barrister Mahin M Rahman, as the board continues its wider crackdown on corruption in domestic cricket.