DHAKA, Feb 16, 2024 (BSS)-Robi Axiata Limited, one of the country's largest

mobile network operators, has claimed the sponsorship rights of the
Bangladesh national cricket team for three and half years.

In this regard, the mobile company and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
struck a deal at the BCB headquarters at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium in Mirpur today. According to the agreement, Robi would pay Tk. 50
crore for the contract, which runs from February this year to July 2027.

"BCB is delighted to have Robi as the sponsor of our national cricket team.
We hope Bangladesh cricket would reach new heights through this partnership,"
BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said here today.

Robi replaced Daraz to be the Bangladesh's new sponsor. BCB's two-and-a-half-
year deal with Daraz came to an end on November, 30 last year after which the
country's cricket apex body has been looking to rope in new sponsor.

Before Daraz, Robi was the title sponsor of the national team, as it signed a
two-year contract with BCB for Tk. 41.41 crore in 2015. Their contract was
renewed in 2017 which was to continue till the 2019 World Cup but Robi
decided to cut short the sponsorship deal on August of 2018.

One of main reasons to cut short the deal was believed to national players'
personal agreement with their rival mobile network operators.

This time they set a condition that no players including the captain and
vice-captain would contract a deal with other mobile companies.

"Those who at this moment are contracted with the other telecom companies can
run it but once it is expired, they can't renew the contract," BCB CEO added.

"The players, however, can strike a deal with the other companies, apart from
mobile network operators. This has been the important aspects of the contract
and we accepted it. We don't think it would create any problem," he said.

It is learnt that the sponsor money is less than what BCB secured from Daraz.
Even Robi's previous deal in 2015 and 2017 was better than the present
contract.

The BCB CEO termed the agreement with the Robi as 'good' for them,
considering the other aspects.

"We think it is a better contract than the other contracts, considering the
present perspectives and other aspects. We have also talked to the other
sponsors who were willing to ink a deal. But what we understand is that
Robi's deal is better than the others," the CEO said.