The second season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will be contested among five teams in a competitive one-month schedule between mid-December and mid-January, BPL Governing Council (GC) secretary Iftikhar Rahman Mithu said on Saturday. Addressing reporters at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Iftikhar stated that the decision was taken with respect to the time constraint ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, which begins in February. Iftekhar stated: "The board has decided to host the BPL from mid-December to mid-January. Given the short window we have this year, we are comfortable with five teams. That doesn’t mean it can’t be six or seven in the future, but our priority is to stage a five-team BPL within a one-month window." BPL 2025-26 Format and Timeline Confirmed The BPL 2025-26 season will have to be finished by January, which doesn't leave much time for a longer tournament. Iftekhar said that although the league can potentially grow in subsequent editions, at the moment, the priority is to complete the five-team event successfully. Iftekhar added: “We have to finish in the month of January. The window he mentioned, we have to finish before the February World Cup. I am not saying that it cannot be six or seven but at this point we are comfortable running it with five teams in this one-month window. So, our priority is the first five teams. We are starting fresh this year. The Expression of Interest (EOI) will be announced tomorrow.” Also Read | Watch: Munsey's Wicket as Ball Rolls Off Foot to Stumps in BPL 2024-25 Fortune Barishal's Involvement in Doubt Uncertainty has been created around Fortune Barishal's inclusion in the next edition. Skipper Tamim Iqbal recently declared that the side would boycott all cricketing activities under Aminul Islam's leadership, terming his appointment "illegal." But the BPL GC hopes that the defending champion will change their minds. Iftekhar said: "My request is that it would be good if they (Fortune Barishal team) come. I can’t force anyone to come. We welcome them; they have run their team well and we have never had any complaints. So, we always want well-managed teams like theirs to participate. We are open, but we can’t force anyone. From my perspective, considering the effort they put in and the following they built in Barishal... my request is that it would be good if they came." Stricter Rules for Franchise Selection Following a number of financial and managerial problems during the last season, the BPL GC aims to be pickier with franchises this year. Iftekhar stated: "The problems we faced in the last BPL were mainly related to the franchises. So, the selection of the franchise will be very strict. If the financials aren’t right, if the management isn’t right... you might be a big group with good financials, but you need people for cricket management as well. We will primarily look at these things." With the EOI being announced imminent, the BPL 2026 season is likely to introduce a new format and stricter regulation, making for a smoother and clearer tournament prior to the T20 World Cup 2026.