In an unexpected turn of events, the reigning champions of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Fortune Barishal, have made a stunning announcement that they will not participate in the tournament for the next five seasons. The franchise, which is owned by Fortune Shoes, formally communicated its withdrawal to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), resulting in a major disruption just a few weeks before the upcoming season’s player draft.
The decision has forced the BCB to reconsider its franchise structure for the next BPL cycle (2025-2026) that was primarily based on the participation of Fortune Barishal. Earlier Barishal management filed a request with BPL governing council for the postponement of the upcoming season, asserting that they required more time to prepare their team. They mentioned that the short notice had made it impossible to create a team that would be strong enough to compete at the level necessary for the league.
Notwithstanding, the BCB has guaranteed that the following BPL season would probably be commencing around December 19, with the player draft scheduled for November 17. Since the schedule could not be altered, Fortune Barishal opted to completely disassociate themselves from the BPL, thereby indicating that their participation is not going to be witnessed in the near future as well.
BPL 2026 Brings in 11 new bidders for team ownership
The question of the league’s popularity, however, next to the exit of Fortune Barishal remains undisputed. The league has captured 11 new bidders according to Cricbuzz who expressed their interest in the ownership of a team by submitting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) before the end of October 28. These potential bidders include not only the ones who had earlier invested in the league but also new companies that are keen on forming teams in important cities like Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Noakhali, and Sylhet.
“We have the 11 EOIs and we will now be using our established criteria while going forward to the next step which will be an evaluation of their financial capability and the day after tomorrow (30th October) we will invite them for individual interviews,” BCB president Aminul Islam stated to the press at Navana Tower.
“The name you have mentioned (Fortune Barishal) is not on the EOIs that we received today,” he went on to say.
The bidders’ list comprises Champions Sports Limited (putting forward Dhaka Capitals), Triangle Services Limited and SQ Sports Enterprise Limited (both for Chattogram), First SS Enterprise (Kumilla Fighters), Togi Sports (Rangpur Riders), and Desh Travels and Nabil Group (both targeting Rajshahi). Others are Bangla Mark, Mind Free Limited, Ruposhi Concrete, Akashbari Holidays, and JM Sports and Enterprise.
It is important to mention that the BCB is now confronted with the task of inviting new team and proving that the league will still be competitive and thrilling after the departure of Fortune Barishal.
