Bangladesh’s Direct FIFA Deal Exposes Massive 2022 Broadcast Corruption

The Bangladesh government significantly reduced costs for broadcasting the 2026 FIFA World Cup by purchasing the media rights directly from FIFA for $3.85 million. Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon announced on 19 July that by sub-licensing the rights to four local companies, the government recovered almost the entire amount. The remaining shortfall is only Tk4-5 crore, which revenue-sharing arrangements are expected to cover.

This direct negotiation, ordered by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to reduce state financial burdens, exposes the heavily inflated costs of the 2022 World Cup broadcasts. Swapon alleged that the previous government relied on intermediaries, turning the 2022 deal into a vehicle for corruption. During the 2022 tournament, a Singapore-based company first bought the broadcast rights from FIFA. Bangladeshi firm Toma Construction then acquired those rights and sold them to state broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV) for Tk98 crore. Total transactions—including satellite and digital rights—reached roughly Tk140 crore, yet FIFA received only $3.2 million from the arrangement, with middlemen pocketing the rest.

A departmental investigation into the 2022 broadcast irregularities is currently underway. Swapon stated that authorities will forward the findings to the Anti-Corruption Commission if necessary. Beyond the broadcast savings, the government is exploring a proposal to bring the Brazil or Argentina national football teams to Bangladesh for a friendly match.

To further professionalize local sports, the state plans to introduce a "Sports Card" and expand early-age sponsorships for talented athletes. Additionally, BTV engineers successfully thwarted multiple hacking attempts targeting the state broadcast during the tournament.