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The gentleman’s game is under scrutiny once again—this time in the heart of Bangladesh. A suspicious stumping incident in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), Bangladesh’s top-tier List A competition, has raised serious concerns about potential match-fixing. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has launched a formal investigation following a bizarre dismissal that seemed more like a scripted scene than genuine cricketing drama. With a video of the incident going viral, fans, commentators, and officials alike are demanding answers.
The incident that shocked the league
The match in question took place between Shinepukur Cricket Club and Gulshan Tigers, two teams at vastly different ends of the points table. Shinepukur, struggling to avoid relegation, needed just six runs from 43 balls with one wicket in hand. At the crease was Minhajul Abedin, unbeaten on 8 off 34 deliveries. What followed, however, stunned everyone watching.
Abedin stepped out to a wide delivery bowled by Gulshan spinner Naeem Islam. Oddly, rather than playing a shot or returning safely to his crease, Abedin grounded his bat outside the crease and then moved it further away—an action that defies cricketing logic. Gulshan’s wicketkeeper, Alif Hasan, missed the stumping on his first attempt but succeeded on the second, ending the match with Shinepukur five runs short and confirming their relegation.
This footage of the Dhaka Premier League matches between Gulshan and Shinepukur is enough to prove match-fixing. pic.twitter.com/qeY8Orzdhp
— munware alam nirjhor (@munwarenj) April 9, 2025
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Commentator Mazhar Uddin Omi reacts in disbelief to the situation
Veteran commentator Mazhar Uddin Omi summed up the sentiment perfectly when he exclaimed, “This is shocking. I have never seen anything like this before.” It wasn’t just an unusual dismissal; it was a moment that immediately raised red flags for match irregularities. The sheer strangeness of the act, particularly at such a crucial juncture, made it difficult for fans and experts to view it as anything but deliberate.
The video clip circulating online shows Abedin making no effort to regain his ground—even though he had ample time. His body language, hesitation, and inexplicable movement of the bat away from the crease are now central to the BCB’s investigation.
BCB calls for an investigation into the matter
Within 24 hours, the Bangladesh Cricket Board responded with a statement acknowledging the severity of the situation. The BCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and the Dhaka Premier League’s Technical Committee have initiated a formal inquiry into the alleged irregularities.
“The BCB remains committed to ensuring fairness and discipline in all cricketing activities under its jurisdiction,” the media release statement read.
Officials are expected to analyze video footage, interview players and coaching staff, and dig into betting patterns around the match. The integrity of domestic cricket in Bangladesh, and possibly the careers of those involved, now hangs in the balance.
The implications for Shinepukur and the league
Shinepukur’s relegation was confirmed with the loss, adding a layer of potential motive behind the alleged fix. With just two points from nine games, their demotion to the second division was already looming, but the manner of the defeat raises questions about whether survival was ever the real goal.
Abedin, a promising batter with over 580 runs in List A matches and three fifties to his name, is now under the spotlight—not for his talent, but for a moment that may define his career for all the wrong reasons. Just last month, he had impressed with an unbeaten 51 against Agrani Bank Cricket Club, making this sudden lapse all the more confounding.
As the DPL gears up for its final round and the Super League phase, the spotlight remains on this controversy. The investigation’s outcome could have far-reaching consequences—not only for the players and teams involved but for the reputation of the league itself.
