Bangladesh Cricket Board officials on Wednesday warned protesting clubs that they would have to look for alternatives if they continued their boycott of cricket.

The warning came during a joint press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium attended by BCB vice-president Faruque Ahmed, Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) chairman Adnan Rahman Dipon, BCB director Shanian Taneem and newly appointed BCB media committee vice-chairman Mokhsedul Kamal Babu.

Following unrest after the recent BCB election, protests broke out in Dhaka's club cricket with a group of club organisers alleging the election was biased and influenced by the government. At one stage, as many as 45 of the 72 clubs across various divisions publicly aligned with the protest movement and announced a boycott of all CCDM-run competitions.

The standoff put the domestic calendar in uncertainty, with organisers forced to postpone the First Division League multiple times after failing to convince the protesting club officials.

Faruque said the board was determined to start the First Division League on December 14 and warned that any club failing to take part would face consequences under the bylaws, which allow for teams to be scrapped from the league and demoted to the next tier.

"Before the tournament starts, every team receives the bylaws. Everything is clearly written there - what applies, what happens in which situation. There is nothing new to inform. The playing conditions and the bylaws that are sent to the participating teams explain very clearly what will happen if a team doesn't take part in the league," Faruque told reporters at Mirpur on Wednesday.

He added that further delays would only harm cricket and the players, stressing that lost time cannot be recovered once the season window passes and that the BCB has a responsibility to keep cricket going irrespective of administrative disputes.

"If club cricket does not take place, there will still be tournaments. The board will obviously find a way to keep the players on the field. The board won't sit idle. If the league does not happen, we must bring cricket back - Victory Day cricket or various other formats will be arranged so that the players can play. But then the clubs' demands won't stand," he said.

Faruque also praised former national captain Tamim Iqbal for his "mature and responsible" stance during the dispute. Tamim, who has been an influential figure among the club organisers opposing the current board, has urged his club Old DOHS Sports Club to take part in the upcoming First Division League rather than risk players' futures.