BCB hopes to host BPL games in Rajshahi next year

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) hopes to host Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches at the Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi next year and also launch a premier league in the division.   

"We need to enhance the facilities of this ground in order to have more international matches, for which we have already talked with the National Sports Council (NSC) and have also submitted a proposal. I hope that NSC will take over this project and that we will be able to see international matches and BPL games here sometime next year," BCB grounds committee chairman Mahbub Anam told the media at the stadium in Rajshahi today. The visit by top BCB officials was part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Bangladesh's attainment of Test status.

BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul, also part of the visit, mentioned starting a new league in Rajshahi in efforts to decentralise cricket. 

"We will start a premier league here in the Rajshahi division. We will increase cricketing activities here, including more training, coaching, and umpiring programmes. We also want to turn the age-group tournaments, which already take place here, into two-day formats," Bulbul said. 

Rajshahi's Shahid Kamruzzaman Stadium hosts age-group tournaments sporadically and has recently seen a three-match series between Bangladesh and South Africa Emerging sides.  

Promising crowd turnouts during the recent series have prompted the BCB to push for more cricketing activities at the venue.