- Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman launched by IPL franchise.
- Dhaka needs crew’s T20 World Cup matches to be held in Sri Lanka.
- Dignity, safety of our cricketers are our prime priorities: BCB chief.
DHAKA: Bangladesh will request that their matches at subsequent month’s T20 World Cup be performed in Sri Lanka, after India compelled a Bangladeshi participant to give up the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“We is not going to settle for any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh beneath any circumstances,” mentioned Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports activities Adviser within the interim authorities, in an announcement carried by the state-run BSS information company on Sunday.
“The times of slavery are over.”
Bangladesh quick bowler Mustafizur Rahman was on Saturday launched by the Kolkata Knight Riders after the IPL crew have been “suggested” by Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take action, following tensions between the neighbouring nations.
Nazrul mentioned he had ordered the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to jot down to the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC).
“The board ought to inform that, the place a Bangladeshi cricketer can’t play in India regardless of being contracted, all the Bangladeshi cricket crew can’t really feel secure going to play within the World Cup,” he wrote.’
“I’ve additionally instructed the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches must be held in Sri Lanka.”
Dignity, safety ‘prime precedence’
The T20 World Cup begins on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their 4 group matches in India.
Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka, a part of a deal that permits each India and Pakistan to play at impartial venues in multi-nation tournaments.
Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass rebellion in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a detailed ally of New Delhi.
India’s overseas ministry final month condemned what it referred to as “unremitting hostility towards minorities” in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s interim chief, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the size of the violence.
BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul mentioned the board have been contemplating their choices.
“The dignity and safety of our cricketers are our prime priorities, and we are going to take a choice on the applicable time, preserving these in thoughts,” he informed reporters late Saturday.
Mustafizur, who has beforehand performed within the IPL for different groups, was snapped up at public sale in December by Kolkata for greater than $1 million.
However BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia mentioned that “contemplating latest developments” Kolkata had been “suggested to launch” the 30-year-old.
The 2026 IPL season begins on March 26.
Nazrul mentioned he would additionally ask that the IPL be blocked by Bangladeshi broadcasters.
“I’ve requested the Info and Broadcasting Adviser to cease the broadcasting of the IPL event in Bangladesh,” he mentioned.
Kolkata, majority-owned by Bollywood famous person Shah Rukh Khan, subsequently mentioned that Mustafizur’s “launch has been carried out following due course of and consultations”.
The cricket row comes solely days after tensions between the nations had appeared to have eased.
India’s Overseas Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Bangladesh final week, essentially the most senior go to by an Indian official because the overthrow of Hasina.
On Friday, the BCB introduced that India would go to Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in September.
Bangladesh will maintain its first elections because the rebellion on February 12.
