The Bangladesh Cricket Board has removed the A-plus category from its central contracts for 2026, changing the salary structure for the national men’s team. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, the only player in the A+ group in 2025, has been reassigned to Grade A. Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim has been moved down from Grade A to Grade B.
This year, there are no players in the A+ tier. Taskin joins Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and T20I captain Litton Das in Grade A. The second-highest bracket offers a monthly salary of BDT 800,000 (about US $6,535), down from the BDT 1 million (around US $8,169) previously given to the A+ group.
Contract Changes Across Grades
The reason for Taskin’s demotion has not been explained officially, although he has performed consistently. The management has monitored his workload in recent seasons to keep him fit. The elimination of the A+ category has led to a decrease in his contract value.
Mushfiqur, who retired from ODI cricket in 2025, now earns BDT 600,000 (about US $4,901) per month in Grade B. He shares this category with ten others, including Test players Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Shadman Islam. Shadman is one of four players promoted from Grade C to B, along with Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain, and Mahedi Hasan.
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Expanded Lower Grades and Upcoming Fixtures
The board has also expanded the lower grades. Grade D, which previously had only two players, now includes seven cricketers, such as Saif Hassan and Nurul Hasan, who returned to T20I last year. Grade C players receive BDT 400,000 (about US $3,267) monthly, while Grade D contracts are set at BDT 200,000 (about US $1,633).
This restructuring coincides with Bangladesh’s upcoming three-match ODI home series against Pakistan starting on March 12, 14, and 16. The changes in contracts indicate a new direction for the board, with a fresh pay structure for 2026 and no players in the A+ tier.
2026 Bangladesh Central Contracts
Grade A: Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Litton Das, Taskin Ahmed
Grade B: Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Towhid Hridoy, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana
Grade C: Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed
Grade D: Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanvir Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan
