A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official said on Wednesday that the board will prioritise existing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 franchises when finalising teams for the inaugural Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL) T20.

“Obviously, we will give them priority. We will look for three franchises, and if they are interested, they will take the teams,” BCB director Iftekhar Rahman Mithu told The Daily Star.

He added that if three franchises are not secured from current BPL owners, the board will explore alternative options.

Earlier in the day, the BCB’s women’s wing officially announced that the first WBPL T20 will be held from April 3 to 15, marking Bangladesh’s first franchise-based T20 competition for women.

Local players – including national cricketers and emerging talents -- will be selected through a draft system to ensure competitive balance and squad depth, while franchises will also be allowed to recruit overseas professionals to raise the tournament’s standard and provide local players with international exposure.

The decision followed a recent meeting between BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul and several board directors and officials. According to Iftekhar, the primary objective is to create more competitive match opportunities for women cricketers.

Another official present at the meeting said two windows -- early April and May -- were considered, with April chosen due to greater availability of foreign players.

The WBPL governing council will be chaired by Rubaba Dowla, BCB director and chairperson of the BCB women’s wing.

Following the tournament, Sri Lanka’s women’s team will arrive on April 17 for a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. The Tigresses will then depart for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, scheduled from June 12 to July 5.